Onion Bhajis

February 10, 2012 By Dan Toombs 79 Comments

Restaurant style onion bhajis at home!

Are you ready to start making the best onion bhajis around? Look no further than this onion bhaji recipe. It gets outstanding results.

These are the onion bhajis that feature in m cookbook 'The Curry Guy' and so many people have tried and loved it. The thing I like most about this onion bhaji recipe is how crispy they get on the exterior while being super soft on and hot in the centre.

If you're counting the calories, you might also like to try my air-fryer onion bhajis and baked onion bhaji recipe.

BE SURE TO check out the step by step photos below and your onion bhajis will be better than anything you can purchase. I promise!

These are real onion bhajis, not a lot of stodge!

So often, you go out and order onions bhajis just to find they are like little balls of gram flour bread without much onion in them. More often than not, it is the ready made meals that have these stodgy onion bhajis in them.

You won't find that with this recipe!

The onions are first salted to extract moisture out of the onions. Then, that liquid is used to make the batter. The batter really just holds them together. What you find inside is almost all onion!

So here you have my famous and authentic restaurant style onion bhaji recipe!

Make the recipe your own:

Feel free to play with the recipe some. If you like them spicier, add chilli powder or more fresh chillies. Want to try different spices...? Why not?

If it sounds good, it probably will be.

Just in case you aren't familiar with panch phoran - it is Indian five spice. You can purchase it at most Asian shops or you could make it yourself if you have the ingredients on hand.

Just take equal measures of fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, black mustard seeds, onion seeds and cumin seeds.

Give the mixture a good mix and you have panch phoran. Add as much or as little as you like. Play with the recipe and have fun!

If you like cooking by photos, I have step by step pics below.

The written recipe is at the bottom of this page.

All the ingredients — Sprinkle the salt over the onions and leave for an hour. Then add the remaining ingredients.

forming the bhajis — Form the onion mixture into small onion bhajis.

The bhajis ready for the fryer — Get you bhajis all ready before frying.

Adding to oil — Cook in batches. This is important. Add to many and it will lower the oil temperature.

Onion bhajis after first cook — Transfer the onion bhajis to a paper towels after the first frying.

Frying onion bhajis a second time. — Raise the heat and fry the bhajis for a few more seconds.

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you've got to try!

Curry house style base sauce - Make a curry just like those at the best curry houses using this sauce.
Lamb Bhuna from Scratch - This one is from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot'
One Pot Chicken Dhansak - from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot
Asian Honey Glazed Baked Salmon
Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
Peruvian Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa
Korean Braised Beef Stew
Dal Makhani - An Indian restaurant favourite!
Tonkotsu Broth - When only the best will do. This one takes some time but it is just like you find at the best ramen restaurants!
Tonkotsu Ramen - Use that homemade tonkotsu broth in this ramen!
The Best Butter Chicken - Try it and you'll agree.
Authentic Saag Recipe - This is so good
Thai Beef Green Curry - Authentic recipe with homemade curry paste
Air Fryer Chicken Biryani
Cajun Mac and Cheese - The creamiest mac on the planet!
One Pot Chicken Vindaloo
Chicken 65 - One of my favourites. You might also like to try this air fryer chicken 65.
One Pot Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry
Homemade Sriracha Sauce - So much better than any sriracha you can purchase!
Tandoori Chicken Tikka - Homemade is alway best and this recipe gets restaurant quality results.

Have you tried this recipe for onion bhajis?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow The Curry Guy on Instagram and Facebook for all our latest recipes.

Yield: 15

How To Make British Indian Restaurant (BIR) Style Onion Bhajis

Make the best onion bhajis with this crispy and delicious recipe. Step-by-step photos included for perfect results every time.

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

3 white onions slightly larger than tennis balls
Oil for deep frying
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon garlic paste
3 green chillies - pounded to a paste
1 tablespoon panch poran*
1 tsp chilli powder
4 tbsp rice flour
140g (approx) sifted gram flour
3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

Cut the onions in half and then finely slice them. Mix the salt into them and set aside for an hour or so.
After an hour the onions will be limp and moist. Add the remaining ingredients to the onions, being careful not to add to much gram flour. You should easily be able to pick up a ball of the onion mixture.
Divide the mixture in to small bhajis.
Heat some oil for deep frying to 160c (320f).
When this heat is reached, cook the bhajis in batches until they turn light brown. Transfer to a plate while you cook the remaining bhajis. At this stage, you are not cooking the bhajis through. You just want to get them started.
Turn the heat up until your oil reaches 180c ((356f)
Add the bhajis in batches and cook for a further couple of minutes until they are crispy and deep brown in colour.
Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain excess oil and serve hot.
If not serving immediately, place in a warm (not hot) oven.

Cucumber Salad

February 8, 2012 By Dan Toombs 12 Comments

This simple cucumber salad is very low in calories while being quite high in taste!

Name: How To Make British Indian Restaurant (BIR) Style Onion Bhajis
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 15
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 white onions slightly larger than tennis balls; Oil for deep frying; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon garlic paste; 3 green chillies - pounded to a paste; 1 tablespoon panch poran*; 1 tsp chilli powder; 4 tbsp rice flour; 140g (approx) sifted gram flour; 3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves

This Indian cucumber salad just gets it!

One thing I have learned through making so much Indian food is that there are so many amazingly good recipes out there with next to no calories! That’s right... you can eat healthily and still enjoy some great food. Lately I have been cooking a lot of vegetarian curries and serving them with salads like this this cucumber salad. It only takes minutes to make and works well as a side dish or on its own.

Depending on where you live, you might find it difficult to find all of the ingredients. Do try to source them as they all work so well together in this dish.

Of course, if you must, you could leave some of the ingredients out. It should still be very nice.

On the weekends when I allow myself to indulge a bit more, I like topping naans with a selection of curries and a bit of this cucumber salad and a yogurt raita. It tastes incredibly good.

Yield: 4

Real Indian Food Recipes - How To Make A Healthy Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1 large cucumber thinly sliced
1 red chilli pepper - deseeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoon fresh coriander finely chopped
The juice of one lemon
4 tablespoon desiccated coconut - toasted in a dry frying pan
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
10 fresh (or frozen) curry leaves. DO NOT use dried leaves
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida

Instructions

Place the sliced cucumber into a bowl with the red chilli, fresh coriander, desiccated coconut and lemon juice.
Mix well to coat the cucumber pieces with the other ingredients.
Now pour the vegetable oil into a small frying pan and place over medium high heat.
When the oil is quite hot but not smoking, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.
Allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds and then more the mixture over the cucumber salad.
Again, stir to combine and serve.

If you like this cucumber salad recipe, please subscribe to my blog. I have many more recipes - some healthy, some quite dangerous - on the way.

Ranch Dressing Recipe

February 7, 2012 By Dan Toombs 11 Comments

Creamy, tangy and flavourful, make this Ranch Dressing Recipe in just 5 minutes!

This Ranch Dressing Recipe is incredibly flavourful and versatile. You will love this recipe for its ability to enhance the flavour of your foods while adding a creamy texture.

Ranch dressing is a popular condiment in the United States. It originates from cowboy Steve Henson. He invited guests to his ranch and wanted to impress them with a salad dressing featuring buttermilk, herbs and spices. This Ranch Dressing Recipe is sure to impress your family and enhance your meals.

Why make homemade ranch dressing?

Obviously you can buy ranch dressing in bottles, but believe me this is far better than you can purchase. There are no preservatives, only fresh ingredients. Whether its to go on a salad, accompany a dish or to stir into this delicious crack chicken recipe, you are going to love it.

What ingredients do you need to make ranch dressing? Can I substitute?

Typically, ranch dressing is made with sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, dried parsley, salt and black pepper including some extra ingredients I have added to this particular recipe. You can substitute some of these ingredients for healthier alternatives or if you're struggling to get hold of the key ingredients.

You can use Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream in this Ranch recipe as a healthy alternative. Instead of buttermilk, you can use a mixture of regular milk and lemon juice or white vinegar. So easy, there really isn't any excuse to not make this delicious ranch dressing.

What could compliment this Ranch Dressing Recipe?

There are many recipes on the blog that this Ranch Dressing Recipe will compliment well, including this Crack Chicken Crock Pot recipe that requires ranch dressing. I have listed some other suggestions below.

Air Fryer Bang Bang Chicken
Chicken Parmo Recipe – Posh Chicken Parmesan
Oklahoma Onion Burger
Korean Fried Chicken
Smash Burger Recipe
Spicy Smash Burger
Honey Roast Chicken
In-n-Out Burger Recipe

Step by step photographs...

Ingredients for this ranch dressing recipe — Prepare your ingredients. This saves time!

Add the sour cream, buttermilk and mayonnaise to your bowl.

whisking ingredients — Whisk together the ingredients so far.

Add the dried herbs, salt and pepper to the bowl.

lemon juice in the Ranch Dressing Recipe — Stir in the herbs then squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl.

served up ranch dressing — Serve up ready to accompany your meal of choice. Delicious!

Yield: 450ml

Ranch Dressing Recipe

You have to make this creamy, tangy and flavourful Ranch Dressing Recipe!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup (120 ml) of sour cream
1/2 cup (120 ml) of buttermilk
1/2 cup (120 ml) of mayonnaise
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/4 lemon (squeezed)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Add your sour cream, buttermilk and mayonnaise to a bowl. Mix well to combine.
To the mixture, add your garlic and onion powder, all of your dried herbs and salt and pepper. Give it a good mix to evenly distribute the herbs and spices. (See notes)
Finally, squeeze your lemon juice into the bowl and mix to combine the ingredients one final time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Now is the time to try your Ranch Dressing, here you can make the recipe your own and add more garlic, onion powder or herbs based on your own personal preference.

Restaurant Style Lamb Saag

February 4, 2012 By Dan Toombs 47 Comments

This lamb saag recipe will get you restaurant quality results.

I have a restaurant style lamb saag recipe in my cookbook 'The Curry Guy Bible' which I love demonstrating at my cooking classes.

This recipe is similar to that one but in the book the recipe serve 4 or more as part of a multi-course meal. Here I show how to make it as a curry house portion to serve 1 - 2 people.

This lamb saag is amazing with plain Basmati rice or flavoured Basmati rice. You might also like to try it with naans or chapatis. Don't forget the homemade dal and samosas! You might also like to serve this with homemade poppadoms and a selection of chutneys and raitas.

Lamb saag curry recipe — Give this a try! It's even better with a cold beer by the Fourpure Brewing Company!

Prepared ingredients and substitutes for lamb saag.

So this is a lamb saag just like the recipe in my cookbooks. You could however try other main ingredients.

Just like when you go out for a curry and see saag on the menu, you could add something else such as chicken, paneer, king prawns, beef... Whatever sound good to you.

As this is a curry house style recipe, you will need to make a base sauce first. This is really easy and great to have on hand for that last minute curry craving. Here is one of my recipes.

I usually make a large batch and freeze what I don't use. It freezes really well.

You will also need to pre-cook your lamb. Authentic lamb saag curries are made by slowly simmering the lamb until it is tender.

Restaurants don't usually have that much time so they use pre-cooked lamb. You might like to try my stewed lamb recipe or this lamb tikka.

For this lamb saag recipe I used leftover roast leg of lamb.

Ingredients for lamb saag curry — It is always a good idea to get your ingredients together before starting cooking.

Following are a few pics I took of the cooking process...

frying onions, garlic and ginger — Heat the oil in your pan over medium high heat. Fry the chopped onions for about 5 minutes and then stir in the garlic and ginger paste. Fry for a further 30 seconds.

stirring coriander (cilantro) stems into the pan — Stir in the chopped coriander (cilantro) stems.

Adding ground spices to the pan — Add the ground spices.

Stirring the sauce in the pan. — Stir it all up well.

Adding tomato puree to the pan — Add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.

Then add a ladle or two of the base sauce and bring to a simmer. Only stir if the sauce is sticking to the pan.

Adding meat to the pan — Add the pre-cooked lamb to the pan.

Stirring the lamb into the sauce — Stir to coat the lamb with the sauce. Add more base sauce if the curry is looking dry.

Stirring spinach puree into the sauce — Stir in the spinach puree.

Stirring in the yoghurt — Stir in the spinach and add the yoghurt.

Adding kasoori methi (fenugreek) to the pan — Add the dried fenugreek (methi). Then season with salt to taste to serve.

If you like this lamb saag curry recipe, you might like to try some of these too. No base sauce required...

Railway Curry
Lamb Curry
Keralan Lamb Curry
Stir Fried Lamb
Coconut Lamb
Pre Cooked Lamb

Finished lamb saag curry with other curries. — Dig in!

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you've got to try!

Curry house style base sauce - Make a curry just like those at the best curry houses using this sauce.
Lamb Bhuna from Scratch - This one is from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot'
One Pot Chicken Dhansak - from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot
Asian Honey Glazed Baked Salmon
Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
Peruvian Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa
Korean Braised Beef Stew
Dal Makhani - An Indian restaurant favourite!
Tonkotsu Broth - When only the best will do. This one takes some time but it is just like you find at the best ramen restaurants!
Tonkotsu Ramen - Use that homemade tonkotsu broth in this ramen!
The Best Butter Chicken - Try it and you'll agree.
Authentic Saag Recipe - This is so good
Thai Beef Green Curry - Authentic recipe with homemade curry paste
Air Fryer Chicken Biryani
Cajun Mac and Cheese - The creamiest mac on the planet!
One Pot Chicken Vindaloo
Chicken 65 - One of my favourites. You might also like to try this air fryer chicken 65.
One Pot Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry
Homemade Sriracha Sauce - So much better than any sriracha you can purchase!
Tandoori Chicken Tikka - Homemade is alway best and this recipe gets restaurant quality results.

Have you tried this lamb saag recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow The Curry Guy on Instagram and Facebook for all our latest recipes.

Yield: 2

How To Make Lamb Saagwala - An Indian Restaurant Favourite

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

110g (1/4 lb) baby spinach leaves
3 green bird's eye chillies - roughly chopped
1 handful coriander (cilantro) leaves
2 tbsp ghee or rapeseed (canola) oil
1/2 onion - finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1 tbsp coriander (cilantro) stalks
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp mixed powder
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
250ml (1 cup) base sauce
300g (11oz) pre-cooked lamb
1 tbsp plain natural yoghurt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste

Instructions

Start by preparing the spinach. Place all of the spinach, chillies, coriander and lime juice in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. You may need to add just a bit of water to do this. Set aside.
Now heat the ghee/oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat.
When hot, add the chopped onions and fry for about 15 minutes until translucent and soft but not overly browned.
Add the ginger and garlic pastes and allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds.
Add the ground spices and stir to combine..
Stir in the tomato puree and bring to a simmer. Then add a ladle or two of the base sauce and bring to a simmer, only stirring if it is sticking to the pan.
Stir in the lamb and ensure it is covered in the bubbling sauce. Then stir in the spinach puree.
Cook for a couple of minutes and then stir in the yoghurt.
Check for seasoning and add the salt to taste.
Stir in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the garam masala and dried fenugreek and serve.

Monkfish Curry

February 2, 2012 By Dan Toombs 31 Comments

Monkfish curry just plain gets it!

I'm a big fan of monkfish. In fact I wasn't sure if I should cook it into a curry the first time I did.

I needn't have worried. This monkfish curry is one of my all time favourite curry house style curries.

If you're looking for something really different and better than you'll find on most curry house menus, this is one you've got to try.

FORWARD PREPARATION

You will need to make my base curry sauce before starting this recipe. You could try the small portion which is enough for this recipe or the large batch which will make many curries.

Once you've mastered the quick and easy art of making curry sauce, you'll be eating like this all the time!

With that magic base sauce, you can throw this together very quickly without having to chop onions or anything else for that matter.

It is also a good idea to get your ingredients together before starting cooking. This makes everything a lot easier.

Monkfish curry is one of the fastest BIR curries to make

Monkfish is a delicious and meaty fish. The sauce, however is great with many other seafood varieties.

Mussels, clams, seabass... you name it, it will probably be really good.

Seafood cooks really quickly so there is no need to pre-cook it as in other restaurant style curries. Be sure to watch it carefully. You just want to cook the monkfish through. Perfect monkfish curry every time!

WHAT TO SERVE THIS MONKFISH CURRY WITH

You could serve this delicious curry on its own or together some of the other British Indian restaurant (BIR) curries on my site.

There is so much lovely flavour in the curry you won't need anything else but a portion of fluffy white rice or chapati and perhaps a good cold beer or two to wash it down.

To make this monkfish curry recipe easier, I have included step by step photos of the cooking process below.

Adding garlic and ginger paste to the pan — Heat the oil over medium high heat in the pan and then stir in the garlic and ginger paste.

Adding spices to pan — Stir in the ground spices.

Stirring in the tomato puree — Stir in the tomato puree and bring to a rolling simmer.

Adding base sauce to pan — Stir in a ladle or so of the base sauce and bring to simmer. Add more when your curry is looking dry.

Adding monkfish to the pan — Now stir in the monkfish and ensure it is coated with the bubbling sauce.

Stirring the coconut milk into the pan — Add the coconut milk and stir well.

monkfish curry restaurant style — See the crusty bit around the edges? This is caramelised base sauce. Scrape and stir this in for fantastic flavour.

If you like the look of this restaurant style monkfish curry recipe, you might like to try some of these too...

Seafood curry
Easy monkfish curry (no base)
Easy prawn curry
Keralan fish curry
Prawn Pathia - restaurant style

Yield: 2

How To Make Monkfish Curry Just Like They Do At The Fancy Indian Restaurants

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1/2 - 1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp mixed powder
70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
300ml (1 1/4 cup) heated curry sauce - Here is how I make mine
300g (11 oz) monkfish cut into pieces
60ml (scant 1/4 cup) thick coconut milk
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the ghee/oil in a frying pan.
Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and let it sizzle for about 30 seconds.
Pour in the turmeric, cumin, coriander powder, red chilli powder and mixed powder.
Allow to sizzle for about twenty seconds and then add the tomato puree.
Let these fry for a further 30 seconds and then add 1 to 2 ladles of base curry sauce. Only stir if the base sauce is sticking to the pan. The base will caramelise to the sides of the pan as it cooks. Stir this back in for additional flavour. Add more base sauce whenever your curry is looking dry.
Add the monkfish pieces and coat then with the sauce to cook through.
Allow to cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the curry sauce is hot. Stir in the coconut milk.
Check for seasoning and sprinkle with salt to taste.
Squeeze the lemon/lime juice (if using) over the top and garnish with freshly chopped coriander and garam masala. Serve immediately.

Chicken Saagwala

February 1, 2012 By Dan Toombs 44 Comments

I think you're going to love this chicken saagwala!

Chicken saagwala is a lightly spiced curry that is as simple as it is appealing. I love it!

If you crave a bit more heat, a sprinkle of freshly chopped green chillies will do the job. The additional chilli also tastes great.

Just be a bit careful so that the chillies zing rather than zap your tongue!

HOW THIS CHICKEN SAAGWALA RECIPE CAME TO BE

When I started my curry blog, I did so with the goal of learning how to cook authentic Indian food.

After a while, however, I began to realise just how popular British Indian restaurant (BIR) style curries like this are.

This recipe is based on several different recipes that were sent to me by top curry chefs around the UK.

For best results, it is important to use fresh baby leaf spinach for this chicken saagwala.

Many curry houses use tinned spinach which simply isn't as nice.

PLANNING AHEAD

As with all BIR meals, it will be much easier and faster if you prepare ahead of time. Be sure to cook your base curry sauce and pre-cook your chicken just like they do in curry house kitchens. If you do, this chicken saagwala will only take you ten minutes to cook and serve.

Curry Sauce
I have written a large and small version of my curry sauce recipe which will need to me made before cooking this recipe.

The large version is made just like they do in the best curry houses. Make a large batch for best results. It keeps in the fridge for three days and freezes well.

The small batch version works well too though it's not as authentic.

PRE-COOKED CHICKEN
I pre-cook chicken in two ways. Most restaurants use this method to prepare their chicken for chicken saagwala.

You could also add tandoori style chicken tikka to this recipe if you'd like to create tandoori Chicken Saagwala.

If you are in a rush, you could also simply simmer your cubed chicken in the base sauce until cooked through.

This adds a really nice flavour to the base sauce. It's another layer of flavour!

For best results when cooking chicken saagwala, please use fresh or frozen spinach. Tinned spinach just doesn't get it!

If you love this recipe try these other similar ones:

PRE COOKED RESTAURANT STYLE CHICKEN
Cumin Chicken Curry
Chicken Curry with Paprika
Chicken Curry with Andhra Chicken Sauce
Chicken Curry with Coconut
Chicken Curry with Black Pepper
Kuzhambu Chicken Curry

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Yield: 3 - 4

How To Make British Indian Restaurant Style Chicken Saagwala

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts - See link to pre-cooked chicken above
750ml (3 cups) Curry sauce - See links to my recipes above
2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon chilli powder
200g (about two large handfuls of fresh spinach)
2 fresh green chilies (or more to taste)
juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon garam masala

Instructions

Start with the spinach. In a food processor, blend the fresh spinach, green chillies and lemon juice together with just enough water or stock from your pre-cooked chicken so that it blends to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Now heat the ghee or oil in a wok or large frying pan.
Pour in the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for about 30 seconds.
Add the cumin, coriander powder and chilli powder and stir to combine.
When the spices begin to fill the room with their magnificent aroma, pour in the hot curry sauce and chicken pieces. Always add the curry sauce hot.
Allow this to cook for about three to five minutes until the chicken is warmed through and the curry sauce is bubbling nicely.
Now pour in the spinach mixture and stir it in. The red and bright green colours will look amazing together as the spinach and curry sauce blend.
Cook for about another two minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and then check for seasoning. Sprinkle with the chopped coriander and garam masala and serve with white rice or naans.

Chicken Tikka Masala

January 31, 2012 By Dan Toombs 231 Comments

This is a chicken tikka masala recipe just like those you find at the best curry houses.

There's no doubt about it, chicken tikka masala is a firm favourite at Indian restaurants. The smooth, mild and creamy sauce is out of this world delicious. This is the recipe from my cookbooks The Curry Guy and The Curry Guy Bible but done in a curry house portion to serve 1 to 2 instead of for 4 as in the books.

Chicken Tikka Masala Curry in a frying pan ready to serve.

Is chicken tikka masala Indian or British?

I get asked often in my curry classes how chicken tikka masala came to be in the first place.

British Indian restaurants prepare curries that are a lot different to what you'll find in India. That said, the past few times I visited India, I found chicken tikka masala on the menus just like those you find in the west.

Indian food made its way to the UK and we sent it back again with a British touch. Many chefs in India are now learning how to make BIR (British Indian restaurant) style curries like this chicken tikka masala for tourists and the curious.

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What is the origin of chicken tikka masala?

There are many stories about the origin of chicken tikka masala. Some say that it is simply a curry house version of the world famous butter chicken which became popular in New Delhi back in the 50s. This could be true as the two curries are quite similar.

Another theory is that it was developed in a curry house in Glasgow. The story goes that a customer sent his chicken curry back because he found it too dry.

Wishing to please his customer, the chef added tomato soup and cream to the curry. Those were the days before the essential base curry sauce which is now used at all curry houses and in this chicken tikka masala recipe. The customer loved it and the curry was added to their menu.

There are many other stories and the real truth of its origin will probably never be known. One thing is certain... people love it worldwide now.

What do you serve with chicken tikka masala?

If you'd like to make this curry into a feast, you've come to the right place. You could just go for a side of Basmati rice or mushroom fried rice. You might also like to check out all these famous rice sides.

If you'd like to make naans, why not try one of these? Instant naans, Peshwari naans, stove top naans, keema naans, garlic naans, tandoor naans (if you have a tandoor oven), or if you're cooking outdoors, karahi naans. Just as delicious are homemade chapatis.

Want to start your chicken tikka masala meal off with a bang? How about fried shop bought poppadoms or if you're feeling ambitious, make your own poppadoms from scratch and serve them with coriander chutney, red onion chutney, and/or tamarind chutney.

Why not try your chicken tikka masala along with another famous curry house curry like Chicken Madras.

What is this chicken tikka masala different to others?

Most Indian cookbooks and blogs show how to make chicken tikka masala using more authentic Indian cooking methods. Finely chopped onions are fried and water or stock added instead of using the base sauce.

Although this does make a good curry, it's nothing like the restaurant style chicken tikka masalas you find at curry houses. Using a base sauce is essential for getting the correct flavour and sauce texture.

I do have a one pot chicken tikka masala recipe that doesn't use base sauce which you might like to try and compare the two.

Ingredients

There are quite a few ingredients in an authentic chicken tikka masala. Get them prepared and ready before starting. You will find many different chicken tikka recipes below that you can try.

ghee or rapeseed (canola) oil
garlic and ginger paste
sugar
ground almonds
coconut flour
tomato puree or passata
mixed powder
tandoori masala
paprika
base curry sauce
tandoori chicken
single cream
red food colouring powder (optional)
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste
dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
garam masala
coriander (cilantro)

See recipe card for quantities.

How To Make Base Sauce and Chicken Tikka

The Base Sauce

In order to get this chicken tikka masala to taste just like it does when you go out, you will need to do some forward planning. First, you will need to cook a base sauce and have it hot and ready to add to the curry. Following are a few methods you can try with the first and second options being the closest to how. base sauce is cooked at restaurants.

You can also freeze the base sauce for that last minute chicken chicken tikka masala craving. Just be sure to label and date it and freeze it in convenient sized containers. It will freeze for up to 6 months.

The Pre-Cooked Chicken

Although you could add raw chicken and let it cook through in the sauce, that isn't what curry house cooking is all about! By pre-cooking the chicken you will add another delicious layer of flavour. I have many chicken tikka recipes on this site but the following will all be delicious stirred into the tikka masala sauce:

Step by step photographs

Once you have your chicken tikka cooked and base sauce ready, you can cook this curry up in about 10 minutes. You will find substitutes for some of the ingredients listed below.

Frying garlic and ginger paste in oil in a hot pan.

Step 1: Heat the oil in a pan over a medium-high heat and stir in the garlic and ginger paste. Let it fry for about 30 seconds.

adding ground spices to the pan and stirring them into the oil, garlic and ginger.

Step 2: Stir in the ground spices, sugar, ground almonds and coconut flour and let it all sizzle for another 30 seconds.

Step 3: Stir in the tomato puree or passata and bring to a simmer.

Step 4: Then add about a ladle of base sauce and bring it to a simmer.

Adding tandoori chicken to the sauce in the pan

Step 3: Stir in the chicken. Add more base sauce when the curry is looking dry and be sure to scrape any that caramelises to the sides of the pan back in for additional flavour

Adding food colouring to the sauce in the pan

Step 4: If adding food colouring, add it now. Remember to add more base sauce if the curry is looking dry or cook it down if it is too liquidy.

Adding cream to the pan and then adding the kasoori methi

Step 3: Stir in the cream and add the kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) by rubbing them between your fingers over the top. Season with salt to taste.

adding chopped coriander (cilantro) to the pan

Step 4: Add lemon juice to taste and garnish with the chopped coriander. A spoonful of butter melted into the sauce is also a nice touch.

Authentic chicken tikka masala curry on a fork with rice.

Should you use ghee or oil...

Although oil is usually used at curry houses, this chicken tikka masala recipe will benefit from the buttery flavour of ghee.

Ghee isn't used as much these days because it is more expensive. You can purchase small tubs of ghee that will last you for at least 20 curries.

How do you add the base sauce?

The base sauce should always be added in small amounts. The reason for this is simple: You want it to cook down and caramelise to the pan. As it does this, you scrape it into the pan for extra flavour. If you add too much base sauce at once, it is difficult, but not impossible to get that caramelisation.

I would like to mention here that you will not achieve caramelised sauce if you are using a non-stick pan because the sauce won't stick and sizzle.

Flavour boosting ideas...

Just like tandoori chicken add another layer of flavour to your chicken tikka masala, there are also other things you can do.

One of my personal favourites is to prepare my base curry sauce with chicken stock instead of water. Another way to really achieve excellent flavour when using tandoori chicken is to add the meat juices that accumulate under the cooked chicken.

You should also think about what else you might like to add. Chopped chillies, more salt, sugar, freshly roasted garam masala and lemon juice all help achieve a good combination of spicy, savoury, sour and sweet flavours.

Variations

If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.

Other proteins - Although chicken is the most popular protein for a tikka masala curry, you could try others like I do in this salmon tikka masala or paneer tikka masala. Same sauce, just a different protein.
Yoghurt - If you want to make a healthier version, try using less oil and substitute whisked yoghurt for the cream. It won't be curry house style but your chicken tikka masala will still be delicious.
Spicy - Chicken tikka masala is known for being a mild curry. When you make it yourself, however there are no rules. Go ahead and add Kashmiri chilli powder to taste instead of or with the paprika.

Substitutes

I hope you try this chicken tikka masala exactly as written. That said, there are a few cheats you can get away with.

Mixed Powder - Mixed powder is commonly used at curry houses. You can easily make it but if you don't have time, you could substitute a good quality curry powder.
Tandoori Chicken - For best results, you will use one of my tandoori chicken recipes on this page. If you want to use up leftover cooked chicken, you could use that instead but you won't get the full flavour of tandoori.
Coconut flour - This is used a lot in curry house style cooking. It just gives the curry a mild flavouring of coconut. You could substitute a tablespoon or two of thick coconut milk.

Useful Kitchen Equipment

You can prepare this chicken tikka masala recipe using whatever you have on hand. Following is some of the equipment I use;

A good blender: One of the things that makes British curries what they are is that smooth sauce. Although you could blend the base sauce in a countertop blender, I prefer using a hand blender for ease and less mess.

A good chef's knife: If you are using tandoori chicken tikka, as I suggest you do, a good, sharp chefs knife important. One excellent quality knife is much better than a selection of useless knives. You know the ones I'm talking about.

A stainless steel of aluminium pan: At curry houses, the pans of choice are aluminium. These are cheap pans that get fantastic results when cooking curry house style curries. Not only do they heat up really quickly but they are also not non-stick. As the curry sauce sizzles over the high heat, it caramelises to the pan. You can scrape those caramelised bits back into the sauce. We are talking delicious here!

Storage

You can store leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Then just reheat in a pan over a medium heat. You can also use a microwave but I prefer the pan method.

This curry also freezes well for up to 3 months. If you are batch cooking, I recommend not adding the cream until you defrost and reheat the curry. Cream doesn't freeze well but if you have already added the cream, it will be fine.

Top Tip

Use your eyes, not the recipe when you are adding base sauce. Let it come to a simmer and scrape any that caramelises to the side of the pan back in for extra flavour. Add more base sauce if the curry is looking dry and cook it down if there is too much liquid.

FAQ

Do I need to grill the chicken before adding it to the sauce?

Yes! Traditional Chicken Tikka Masala uses grilled or broiled chicken for a smoky flavour. If you don’t have a barbecue or tandoor oven, you can use my stovetop method.

How do you get that deep, bright red colouring?

That is done with red food colouring powder. There is no substitute. The red food colouring has no flavour so it is added purely for presentation.

Looking for other curry house style recipes? Try some of these:

See more Curry House Recipes →

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

Yield: 1 - 2

How To Make Chicken Tikka Masala

All of the spice blends for this chicken tikka masala can be purchased at Indian grocers and online. I have provided links to my homemade blends if you would like to make them. I hope you do! If you don't want to go outside to grill the chicken tikka, you could also try my stovetop chicken tikka and air fryer chicken tikka. Looking for a chicken tikka masala recipe without the base sauce? You can try my One Pot Chicken Tikka Masala from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot'.

For more ideas, please see notes.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

3 tbsp ghee or rapeseed (canola) oil
1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1/2 tbsp sugar (more or less to taste)
1 tbsp ground almonds
1 tbsp coconut flour
70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
1 tbsp mixed powder
1 tbsp tandoori masala
1/2 - 1 tbsp paprika
300ml (1 1/2 cups) base curry sauce
300g (11 oz) tandoori chicken
100ml (scant 1/3 cup) single cream (more or less to taste
1 tsp red food colouring powder (optional)
Juice of one lemon (optional)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) to taste

Instructions

Heat the ghee/oil in a frying pan over medium high heat
When visibly hot, add the garlic and ginger paste and stir well to cook out the rawness.
Stir in the coconut flour, sugar, ground almonds, mixed powder, tandoori masala and paprika and again stir well.
Pour in the tomato puree and bring to a simmer. Then add about a ladle of base curry sauce. You will need to top this up from time to time. If the curry is looking too dry, add more base sauce. If too saucy, cook it down.
Bring this all to a bubbling simmer and then add the pre-cooked tandoori chicken. Stir well to coat the meat with the sauce. Remember to add more base if it is looking dry. Scrape around the edges of the pan as the base sauce caramelises to the side. This will add a delicious flavour to your chicken tikka masala.
Now add the food colouring if using.
Continue stirring to colour the sauce adding more of the heated curry sauce when required
Simmer for about a minute and pour in the cream.
Stir in the fresh coriander, season with salt to taste and finish with a squeeze of lemon the dried fenugreek and the garam masala.

Notes

There is so much you can do with this chicken tikka masala recipe!

Proteins: You can substitute any protein you like for the chicken. Why not try this tikka masala sauce with slow cooked chicken? The cooking liquid can also be added in small amounts to the sauce for additional flavour.

You might also like to try this tikka masala sauce with tandoori lamb tikka, slow cooked meat, tandoori prawns, curry house style potatoes or marinated paneer.

How To Make Chicken Dhansak

January 26, 2012 By Dan Toombs 83 Comments

Chicken dhansak is a delicious, mildly spiced curry with lentils.

There is a bit of a debate in the UK about how a curry house style chicken dhansak should be cooked. Some insist that it have pineapple chunks in it. Others, of which I am one, prefer to leave the pineapple out.

That said, I developed this chicken dhansak recipe the way it is most often served, with pineapple. Feel free to leave it out though but don't leave out the pineapple juice!

Chicken dhansak is a curry house favourite that is perfect served with plain or flavoured Basmati rice, naan and chapatis, chutneys and of course poppadoms! Don't forget the samosas!

chicken dhansak curry — Chicken dhansak is even amazing paired with a good beer or two.

What exactly is a dhansak curry?

The chicken dhansak you get when you order at your local curry house is nothing like what you would get in India.

BIR (British Indian restaurant) chicken dhansak is a play on a Parsi dhansak.

Traditional Parsi dhansaks are made with goat or mutton and are served with brown rice, The Parsi dhansak also has lots of vegetables like pumpkin, aubergine (eggplant) and potato added to the sauce as well. Often, many different varieties of lentil are used to make the sauce along with a long list of spices.

Our curry house style dhansak is a lot less complicated, though it is a sweet and sour curry like the original. Lentils are added to the sauce, with lemon juice as a souring agent and pineapple juice and pineapple (sometimes) added for sweetness.

What does chicken dhansak taste like?

Although chicken dhansak is often served quite mild, it can also be spicy. That's how I like it so add more chilli powder to this recipe if you prefer spicier curries.

This curry is a delicious medley of sweet, tart and savoury flavours. The tartness comes from the use of lemon juice and tamarind. You get the sweetness from the pineapple juice and pineapple pieces if using.

Feel free to taste and adjust these flavours in the finished chicken dhansak. All can be added anytime during cooking so make your chicken dhansak taste exactly as you want it.

Working ahead.

This chicken dhansak recipe represents the best of curry house style cooking.

In order to get it right, you will need to make a base curry sauce and also pre-cook your chicken. Pre-cooking the chicken not only speeds up the cooking process, it also adds another layer of flavour.

If you would rather not go to the 'fuss' of making a base curry sauce, however, you can still get amazing results using this one pan chicken dhansak without the need for a base sauce.

Curry Sauce
Each of the authentic British Indian restaurant (BIR) recipes on my blog require a base curry sauce. It's actually very easy to prepare and the recipe can be scaled up or down depending on how much you want to make.

Once you make the base curry sauce, you can whip up all of the popular curry house style curries in about 10 minutes.

Pre-cooked chicken
I pre-cook chicken in two ways. Most Indian restaurants use this method to prepare their chicken for this curry. In this recipe, the chicken pieces are slow cooked in a spiced broth. You could add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking juices to your curry for extra flavour.

Another popular way forward is to add tandoori style chicken tikka to this recipe which will result in a delicious tandoori style Chicken Dhansak. You might also like to take a look at all these delicious chicken tikka recipes.

Substitutes for chicken...

You can make use other proteins instead of chicken.

Just like when you go out for a curry and see dhansak on the menu, you can choose what goes into the sauce.

King prawns, tandoori lamb, keema, paneer are all good substitutes. Simply add them instead of the chicken. Each can be fried in a pan just like the above mentioned one pan chicken tikka.

Let's break down how to make chicken dhansak...

There is a more detailed version of this chicken dhansak in the recipe card below. It's good to have an idea of what goes into creating this curry house favourite though. Please don't forget that if this all sounds a bit too fussy for you, you can always try my one pan chicken dhansak here.

To start: Heat the oil in a pan and add the garlic and ginger paste. Stir this around in the oil for about 30 seconds until fragrant and then stir in the tomato puree.

Stir in the lentil and base sauce: You want to add the lentils early in cooking as they will break down even more. The lentils are such an important part of making a creamy, smooth chicken dhansak. Then add a splash of the base sauce. Not too much at this point. You're just getting the sauce off to a good start.

Add the pre-cooked chicken: Stir the chicken into the bubbling sauce and another splash of base sauce. The idea here is to heat the chicken through and also build that sauce. As the sauce caramelises to the side of the pan, scrape it back in for additional flavour.

To finish: Add the remaining ingredients. If your sauce is looking too thick, add more base sauce or the cooking liquid from the chicken if you have some. If it is looking too saucy, cook it down to thicken.

Can chicken dhansak be frozen?

Most definitely yes! Chicken dhansak, like the base sauce used to make it can be frozen and it freezes really well for up to 6 months.

This is a great way to prepare for a massive curry feast with friends. Some people think that freezing the curry actually makes it better.

So go ahead and cook up this chicken dhansak along with a few more of your curry house favourites and bring them out next time you have a gathering of curry fans around.

Following are step by step photos of me cooking chicken dhansak...

Preparing ingredients for chicken dhansak — Always prepare your ingredients before starting. This saves time and it also makes the cooking process easier.

Using pineapple...

The most common way to add pineapple is to add it at the end of cooking so that you can actually see the pieces of pineapple.

If you add the pineapple to your chicken dhansak earlier, the fruit will break down and become part of the sauce.

Frying turmeric — Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat and stir in the garlic and ginger paste and turmeric. Fry for 30 seconds.

Adding spices and tomato puree to the pan — Add the spices and stir. Then add the tomato puree, stirring again to combine.

Adding base sauce and lentils — Add the lentils and a ladle of the base sauce. Top up the sauce as needed.

adding chicken to pan — Stir in the pre-cooked chicken.

simmering chicken dhansak — Bring to a simmer and add more base sauce if looking dry. If too saucy, cook it down.

What do you serve chicken dhansak with?

Deliciously cooked Basmati rice is a firm favourite. You should try my no fail recipe here.

You could also serve chicken dhansak with hot, homemade naans. Try my stovetop naans or if you prefer a sweeter Peshwari naan, you've simply got to try this.

If you're really feeling peckish, these keema naans are not to be missed!

Here are some more curry house favourites you might like to try!

Chicken Tikka Masala
Lamb Rogan Josh
Chicken Korma
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Madras
Lamb Bhuna
Chicken Chilli Garlic
Amazing chicken Patia

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you've got to try!

Curry house style base sauce - Make a curry just like those at the best curry houses using this sauce.
Lamb Bhuna from Scratch - This one is from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot'
One Pot Chicken Dhansak - from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot
Asian Honey Glazed Baked Salmon
Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
Peruvian Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa
Korean Braised Beef Stew
Dal Makhani - An Indian restaurant favourite!
Tonkotsu Broth - When only the best will do. This one takes some time but it is just like you find at the best ramen restaurants!
Tonkotsu Ramen - Use that homemade tonkotsu broth in this ramen!
The Best Butter Chicken - Try it and you'll agree.
Authentic Saag Recipe - This is so good
Thai Beef Green Curry - Authentic recipe with homemade curry paste
Air Fryer Chicken Biryani
Cajun Mac and Cheese - The creamiest mac on the planet!
One Pot Chicken Vindaloo
Chicken 65 - One of my favourites. You might also like to try this air fryer chicken 65.
One Pot Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry
Homemade Sriracha Sauce - So much better than any sriracha you can purchase!
Tandoori Chicken Tikka - Homemade is alway best and this recipe gets restaurant quality results.

Have you tried this chicken dhansak recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow The Curry Guy on Instagram and Facebook for all our latest recipes.

Yield: 2

How To Make Chicken Dhansak

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp mixed powder
2 tsp chilli powder (more or less to taste)
70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
90g (1/4 cup) red split lentils (rinsed and cook until soft - about 30 minutes)
250ml (1 cup) approx. heated base curry sauce
350g (11oz) pre-cooked chicken
salt and pepper to taste
100ml pineapple juice
2 - 3 tinned (canned) pineapple rings - cut into pieces
Salt to taste
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)

Instructions

Heat the ghee/oil over medium heat. Add the turmeric and the ginger and garlic paste and let sizzle for about 30 seconds. The turmeric will darken in colour as it cooks.
Stir in the remaining ground spices and fry for a few seconds in the oil.
Add the tomato puree and stir to combine with the spices. Bring to a simmer and then add about one ladle of base sauce. The base sauce should be added as required. If the curry is looking dry, add more base sauce. If too saucy, cook it down.
Add the cooked lentils and stir it all up. Be careful as lentils will burn to the bottom. Stir often and reduce the heat if necessary.
Now add the chicken pieces and the pineapple juice and pineapple pieces. Remember to add more base as required.
Season with salt to taste and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve.

Restaurant Style Lamb Vindaloo Curry

January 23, 2012 By Dan Toombs 92 Comments

When people think of lamb vindaloo curry, it's recipes like this restaurant style vindaloo that come to mind. Make it... you'll love it!

I had a few friends from my hometown in California visit me in the UK recently and they couldn't wait to dig into a real lamb vindaloo curry. So I decided to make them this!

They had tried authentic Goan vindaloo curry a few times at restaurants in the US but were finding it hard to find anything like the vindaloos we get here in the UK.

You can enjoy this lamb vindaloo just like you would at a good curry house with plain or flavoured Basmati rice, naans or chapatis, samosas, dal and of course a few good chutneys or raitas!

So what exactly is vindaloo curry?

Before moving on the this lamb vindaloo curry recipe, here's a bit of vindaloo trivia for you.

Authentic vindaloo curry owes its origins to Portuguese controlled Goa in the fifteenth century where the dish was served with pork meat.

The name vindaloo was most likely a mispronunciation of the similar Portuguese dish carne de vinho e alhos or meat with wine and garlic.

So the Goan cooks called this new and much loved vinho e alhos 'vindaloo' and the name stuck. Notice the 'aloo' at the end of 'vindaloo'.

This caused one of many changes in the recipe when it was served hundreds of years later at British curry houses. (see below)

One thing the Goans changed when making vinho e albos or vindaloo was that they add a lot of chillies. They loved chillies which had only recently made their way to the Indian subcontinent from the new world.

What do you serve lamb vindaloo with?

If you'd like to make this curry into a feast, you've come to the right place. You could just go for a side of plain fluffy Basmati rice or a seasoned rice side dish.
If you'd like to make naans, why not try one of these? Instant naans, Peshwari naans, stove top naans, keema naans, garlic naans, tandoor naans (if you have a tandoor oven), or if you're cooking outdoors, karahi naans. Oh, and really easy but just as delicious are homemade chapatis.

You might also like to serve up an easy curry house style tarka dal or slowly cook dal makhani.

Want to start your chicken jalfrezi meal off with a right? How about fried shop bought poppadoms or if you're feeling ambitious, make your own poppadoms from scratch and serve them with coriander chutney, red onion chutney, and/or tamarind chutney.

So what's the difference between British Indian restaurant (BIR) vindaloo curry and the more authentic versions?

Many UK Indian restaurant chefs add potatoes to their vindaloo curries. ‘Aloo’ means 'potato' in Hindi and Urdu so a lot of the original self-taught Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrant chefs mistakenly added potatoes to this fiery curry and it stuck.

British Indian restaurant vindaloo is not very similar to the authentic Goan version other than in name and that it is quite spicy. If you would like to read my authentic pork vindaloo recipe, please click here.

As most curry houses are muslim run, the use of pork was a big no no. When dining out you are much more likely to order vindaloo with a range of main ingredients from chicken to lamb to paneer.

How did this curry house vindaloo recipe come about?

This recipe is the result of trial and error and of course watching many great curry house chefs do their work. I have been lucky to have been invited into hundreds of curry house kitchens to see the chefs work their magic.

I use both green chillies and also super hot scotch bonnet chillies just like many of the chefs I learned from do.

It is spicy but not over the top so. You can still taste and enjoy all the flavours. If you want yours even hotter, just add more chillies or chilli powder. That tends to do the job.

By the way, if you are adding potatoes to this lamb vindaloo curry, I recommend cooking them in the curry base sauce until very tender. Then just scoop them out and add them to your vindaloo curry.

You could just boil them in water too.

You might also like to cook your potatoes ahead of time as many curry house chefs do. Here is a good recipe for doing this.

PLANNING AHEAD

Curry Sauce
All of the authentic Indian restaurant style recipes on my blog call for a base curry sauce. The base sauce is one of the uniquely British ingredients that makes the BIR vindaloo curry what it is today.

Pre-Cooked Meat

I have used pre-cooked lamb for this recipe. Pre-cooking the meat not only makes cooking faster but also adds another delicious layer of flavour. Here is my recipe for this method.

You could use the main ingredient of your choice. For example, try this vindaloo recipe with tandoori chicken tikka or marinated and grilled paneer.

You may also like to try a more tandoori style lamb. Here's my tandoori lamb tikka recipe which tastes amazing in a vindaloo.

Do I have to pre-cook the meat?

That is how you will get curry house style results. I am asked often if you have to pre-cook the meat. It does add another layer of flavour so it is worth doing.

That said, you could add the meat raw and just cook it longer. A lot longer! Lamb takes at least 40 minutes to cook to tender.

You will of course need to add more liquid during the cooking process too.

I prefer to do it the curry house way and have lots of pre-cooked meat on hand. It's faster. It tastes better. It freezes well. Do that and you can whip up this curry house style lamb vindaloo in minutes.

Alternative Ingredients...

You can add the main ingredient of your choice. This doesn't have to be a lamb vindaloo curry!

Just like when you go out for a curry and see vindaloo on the menu with your choice of main ingredients like lamb, chicken, king prawns etc. you can do that when you cook this recipe too.

Following are a few step by step photos of the lamb vindaloo cooking process.

infusing whole spices in the oil — Heat the oil over medium high heat and add the whole spices to infuse and flavour the oil.

Adding chillies and ground spices — Now add the chillies and ground spices and stir into the oil.

simmering vindaloo sauce — Bring this to a simmer, adding more base sauce if it is looking dry. Be sure to scrape any caramelised sauce from the side of the pan into the sauce.

Stirring in the pre-cooked meat — Add the pre-cooked meat and stir to coat in the sauce.

adding pre-cooked potatoes — Add the pre-cooked potatoes and stir well.

Adding dried fenugreek and lemon juice — Stir in the dried fenugreek (methi) and the lemon juice.

garnishing with coriander — Season with salt to taste and add a little coriander (cilantro). Leave some to garnish before serving.

Here are some more curry house favourites you might like to try!

Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Korma
Chicken Madras
Chicken Dhansak
Lamb Rogan Josh
Chicken Chilli Garlic
Chicken Patia
Lamb Bhuna

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you've got to try!

Curry house style base sauce - Make a curry just like those at the best curry houses using this sauce.
Lamb Bhuna from Scratch - This one is from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot'
One Pot Chicken Dhansak - from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot
Asian Honey Glazed Baked Salmon
Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
Peruvian Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa
Korean Braised Beef Stew
Dal Makhani - An Indian restaurant favourite!
Tonkotsu Broth - When only the best will do. This one takes some time but it is just like you find at the best ramen restaurants!
Tonkotsu Ramen - Use that homemade tonkotsu broth in this ramen!
The Best Butter Chicken - Try it and you'll agree.
Authentic Saag Recipe - This is so good
Thai Beef Green Curry - Authentic recipe with homemade curry paste
Air Fryer Chicken Biryani
Cajun Mac and Cheese - The creamiest mac on the planet!
One Pot Chicken Vindaloo
Chicken 65 - One of my favourites. You might also like to try this air fryer chicken 65.
One Pot Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry
Homemade Sriracha Sauce - So much better than any sriracha you can purchase!
Tandoori Chicken Tikka - Homemade is alway best and this recipe gets restaurant quality results.

Have you tried this lamb vindaloo recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow The Curry Guy on Instagram and Facebook for all our latest recipes.

Yield: 2

How To Make Lamb Vindaloo

This is an authentic British curry house style vindaloo, not to be confused with the Goan vindaloo which is a lot different. I love this recipe. Give it a try.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
3 green cardamom pods - bruised
1 star anise
1 Indian bay leaf
1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
2 green bird's eye chillies - finely chopped
1 scotch bonnet chilli - finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp mixed powder
70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
300ml (1 1/4 cups) base sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1 pre-cooked potato - peeled
1 tbsp coriander (cilantro) - finely chopped
Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil over medium-high heat and then throw in the cardamom pods, star anise and bay leaf. Allow these ingredients to infuse into the oil for about 30 seconds and then add the garlic ginger paste.
Stir the garlic ginger paste into the spice infused oil and then add all the chopped chillies. Fry these for about 30 seconds and then add the ground spices and fry for a further 30 seconds.
Your pan might be looking a bit dry at this point. Add the tomato puree and a couple of ladles of the base sauce and bring to a simmer. Only stir if it looks like the sauce is sticking to the pan.
Stir in the pre-cooked lamb and stir to coat with the sauce. Simmer for about 3 minutes adding more base if it is looking dry.
Add the vinegar and then the fenugreek leaves by rubbing them between your fingers. Add the pre-cooked potato and heat them through in the sauce. Then garnish with coriander (cilantro).
Season with salt to taste.

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I hope you enjoy this curry house style vindaloo recipe. You will get restaurant quality results! If you do try the recipe, please don't be a stranger. Let me know in the comments.

How To Make Chicken Madras

January 22, 2012 By Dan Toombs 165 Comments

Chicken madras curry as it should be! This recipe gets restaurant quality results!

Slightly milder than a vindaloo and equally as delicious, if you like spicy curries, you'll love this madras curry recipe. This is how chicken madras curry is made at the best curry houses.

I know because I have visited and cooked at so many of them! If you have my cookbook 'The Curry Guy' and/or 'The Curry Guy Bible', you might recognise the madras curry sauce. In the books I featured lamb madras curry to serve 4 people.

Here I have done it with chicken in a curry house portion to serve 1 - 2 people.

You can make things easier on yourself!

This is a chicken madras curry recipe just like those you'll find at curry houses. To make it, you will need to first prepare a base sauce and pre-cook your chicken.

It tastes amazing but if you would like to make a chicken madras curry without all the forward preparation, you could try my one pan version here.

About this chicken madras curry recipe...

Back in the early 90s when I moved to the UK, Indian food was a new cuisine for me. Chicken madras curry and also vindaloo were my favourites as I love spicy food.

In fact, it was my love of chicken madras curry that led me to starting my blog in the first place. The blog started as an authentic Indian food blog but before long I was receiving requests from readers to show how to make British Indian restaurant (BIR) style recipes.

Before long, I was right in the middle of the restaurant kitchens, learning the secrets behind curry house style curries like this chicken madras.

How spicy will this chicken Madras curry be?

On the heat scale, this chicken madras curry is just above a jalfrezi curry and slightly milder than a vindaloo.

That is when you order out but of course you can adjust the seasoning when you cook a chicken madras yourself.

If you are not sure about the hot spices, simply reduce the amount you put in. It's a lot easier to add spices at the end than it is to reduce the heat level once the spices have been added.

That's the beauty of cooking for yourself... you can decide how spicy to make your curries.

What is Madras curry?

Now let's discuss what a Madras is. Back in the old days, you had three choices at British Indian restaurants, mild, spicy and very spicy.

The curries were all made the same way, just the amount of chilli powder used was what made the difference between a chicken curry, a chicken madras curry which had about a tablespoons of chilli powder in it and a vindaloo which had three or four tablespoons of chilli powder.

Boring right? Over time, curry house chefs upped their game giving each of their curries their own characteristic flavour. It's for this reason that madras curries now have their own distinctive flavour.

What is the difference between a chicken madras curry and a vindaloo?

Vindaloos are now made a lot more like the authentic Goan pork vindaloo. That said, pork isn't used at most curry houses because they are run by muslims. They do add ingredients like vinegar and spicier fresh chillies to give their vindaloos a flavour that is similar but usually spicier than an authentic vindaloo. This gave them them a flavour that was different but equally as delicious to the Madras.

A chicken madras curry is just over medium heat where vindaloo will often give you a spicy kick to remember.

Preparing Ahead

Curry Sauce
All of the authentic British Indian restaurant (BIR) recipes on my blog call for a base curry sauce. Here's my authentic curry house style recipe. You could also try this multi cooker base . If you don't have a lot of time, try this 20 minute base sauce recipe. Once the. base sauce is made, you will be able to make this chicken madras curry in about ten minutes.

PRE-COOKED CHICKEN
I pre-cook chicken in two ways for chicken madras curry. Most restaurants use this stewed method to prepare their chicken for this curry.

It's slowly stewed in a spiced broth. The liquid from the resulting stock can be added to your chicken madras curry for extra flavour.

You could also add tandoori style chicken tikka to this recipe if you'd like to make a tandoori Chicken Madras curry.

For this recipe I used the slowly stewed version.

Do I have to use chicken?

Of course not! This Madras curry recipe is all about the sauce. Any meat, vegetables or paneer can be used as a main ingredient. For example, try this tandoori paneer.

Following are step by step photographs of how to make a chicken madras.

Frying whole spices — Heat the oil over medium-high heat and then throw in the whole spices to infuse.

Pouring tomato puree into the pan — Then add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.

Adding green chillies to the sauce. — In go the green chillies.

Adding base curry sauce to pan — Add a ladle or two of the base sauce. You can continue topping this up if the curry is looking dry.

Adding chicken to the chicken madras curry — Dump in the chicken and stir well to coat with the sauce.

Adding mango chutney to the madras curry — Add the mango chutney and bring it all to a rolling simmer, adding more base as needed.

Here are more curry house curry favourites you might like to try!

Chicken Korma
Chicken Dhansak
Lamb Rogan Josh
Chicken Tikka Masala
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Chilli Garlic
Chicken Patia
Lamb Bhuna

chicken madras curry — So good with Basmati rice or a chapati.

Go on... You know you want it. Make this and enjoy!

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you've got to try!

Curry house style base sauce - Make a curry just like those at the best curry houses using this sauce.
Lamb Bhuna from Scratch - This one is from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot'
One Pot Chicken Dhansak - from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot
Asian Honey Glazed Baked Salmon
Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
Peruvian Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa
Korean Braised Beef Stew
Dal Makhani - An Indian restaurant favourite!
Tonkotsu Broth - When only the best will do. This one takes some time but it is just like you find at the best ramen restaurants!
Tonkotsu Ramen - Use that homemade tonkotsu broth in this ramen!
The Best Butter Chicken - Try it and you'll agree.
Authentic Saag Recipe - This is so good
Thai Beef Green Curry - Authentic recipe with homemade curry paste
Air Fryer Chicken Biryani
Cajun Mac and Cheese - The creamiest mac on the planet!
One Pot Chicken Vindaloo
Chicken 65 - One of my favourites. You might also like to try this air fryer chicken 65.
One Pot Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry
Homemade Sriracha Sauce - So much better than any sriracha you can purchase!
Tandoori Chicken Tikka - Homemade is alway best and this recipe gets restaurant quality results.

Have you tried this chicken madras recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow The Curry Guy on Instagram and Facebook for all our latest recipes.

Yield: 2

How To Make Chicken Madras

This curry house style chicken curry is a favourite with spicy food fans. You can adjust the heat of this chicken Madras curry to taste.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
2 dried Kashmiri chillies
2 green cardamom pods
1 1/2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
2 green bird's eye chillies
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp mixed powder
70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
300ml (1 1/4 cups) base sauce
300g (11oz) pre-cooked chicken
1 tbsp smooth mango chutney or lime pickle
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) to garnish
Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the dried Kashmiri chillies and cardamom pods.
Move these whole spices around in the oil for about 30 seconds to infuse into the oli and then add the garlic and ginger paste. Fry for a further 30 seconds.
Add the green chillies followed by the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and mixed powder and stir to combine.
Stir in the tomato puree followed bye a ladle full or two of the base sauce. Bring to a simmer and then add the chicken pieces. Only stir if the base sauce is obviously sticking to the pan. As the base sauce cooks, it will caramelise to the side of the pan. Scrape this in for more flavour.
Stir in the mango chutney and lime juice. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes, again only stirring if the sauce is obviously sticking to the pan.
To finish, sprinkle the garam masala over the top, garnish with the fresh coriander (cilantro) and season with salt to taste.

Chana Dal

January 20, 2012 By Dan Toombs 12 Comments

You can serve this chana dal as a side or main dish.

Walk into any Indian restaurant and chana dal is almost certain to be on the menu. Many people think of chana dal as a side dish for a good curry with a few naans and chapattis and/or rice. Don't forget the poppadoms and samosas!

The thing is, chana dal is also amazing as a main meal. You can serve it on its own or over rice and never be disappointed.

What is Chana Dal?

Chana dal, also known as split chickpeas, is a type of lentil made from dried, split, and skinned chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Not only is the lentil used to make Indian style chana dal but it is also a popular ingredient in other South Asian cuisines.

Chana dal is yellow in colour and has a mild, nutty flavor. It is rich in protein, fibre, and various essential nutrients, making it a nutritious and versatile ingredient in various dishes.

Where is this recipe from?

I have seen chana dal cooked at restaurants more times than I can count. This is a recipe inspired by a visit to Prashad in Bradford. It features in my cookbook 'The Curry Guy Bible'.

Is it difficult to make this dal?

Not at all! All you need to do is soak the lentils for about 30 minutes and then cook them until soft. This takes about 45 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, you can prepare the tarka which only takes minutes to make. Then you stir the tarka into the soft lentils and you've got yourself one of the best dals on the planet!

What is the difference between tarka dal and chana dal?

You do make a tarka for this chana dal recipe so why isn't it a tarka dal? In theory, it actually is but there are differences.

With this chana dal, the tarka you prepare with ghee or oil, onion, garlic and spices is stirred right into the chana dal. It becomes part of the soupy lentil dish.

With tarka dal, there are usually fewer ingredients in the tarka and it is poured over the cooked lentils to serve. The tarka actually floats on top.

Can you prepare this dish ahead of time?

Yes! In fact much easier than you can tarka dal because the tarka is stirred in.

You can prepare this dal up to a few days ahead of serving. The flavour actually gets better and bolder as it rests in the fridge. Then all you have to do is heat it up in a pan or in your microwave and serve.

Are any of the ingredients difficult to find?

No! The most difficult to find would be asafoetida but I purchased mine from my local supermarket so you will find it.

The lentils are quite common and easy to find too. If you do have trouble finding any of the ingredients, you will surely find them online.

How long can you keep chana dal in the fridge?

You should be able to store this in your fridge for up to 5 days. Then just heat it up in a pan or microwave and serve.

Can you freeze chana dal?

Yep. I have some in my freezer right now as I write this. It freezes well for up to 6 months.

It's great to have on hand for that last minute curry feast. You don't have to just settle for a curry and rice. Take it out and serve your chana dal with the curry and rice.

To blend or not to blend? That's the question.

You might like a really smooth chana dal. This is done by first blending the cooked lentils before adding the tarka.

Personally, I prefer a bit of texture so I rarely blend the lentils. Both options are right. It's down to you and your personal preference.

How do you serve chana dal?

You can serve it as a side for one or more curries or serve it like you would a curry, over rice.

One way I like to serve chana dal is as a soup. To do this, just add a little more water or stock to thin the finished dal a bit. There are so many tasty ingredients in chana dal that adding a little water or stock will not take away from the flavour.

If you find that it does, simply stir in more spices or salt to taste.

Step by step photographs.

Ingredients for chana dal. — Soak your lentils for at least 30 minutes and gather all your ingredients together.

Cooking the lentils. — Heat 750ml (3 cups) water in a saucepan and add the soaked lentils. Skim off any foam that rises to the top and cook until soft. The whole process takes about 45 minutes

The dal is ready when it's ready!

You should find that this chana dal takes about 45 minutes to cook. You might taste it after 45 minutes and find the lentils are still a bit hard. Let it keep cooking and add more water if needed.

It will only take a few more minutes and it may as well be cooked to perfection!

Infusing the flavour of cumin seeds into hot oil. — While the lentils are simmering, start making the tarka. Heat oil or ghee over a medium heat and stir in the cumin seeds to infuse for about 30 seconds.

Adding onions to the pan to fry until soft and translucent. — Stir in the chopped onions and add a little salt. The salt will help the onions cook faster. Fry for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.

Adding chopped garlic and chilies to the pan to fry for 30 seconds. — Stir in the garlic and chilies and fry for a further 30 seconds.

Stirring ground spices and chopped tomatoes into the other ingredients. — Now add the chopped tomatoes and ground spices and stir well to combine.

Continuing to fry the tarka to soften and mix the flavours. — Fry for a further few minutes to soften.

Adding the tarka to the cooked lentils. — When your dal is cooked to your liking, pour the tarka over the top and stir it in.

If you like this chana dal recipe, you might like to try some of the Indian Vegetarian favourites.

Dum Aloo
Pakistani Chickpea Biryani
Punjabi Saag Curry
Punjabi Rajma
Butternut Squash Curry
Sri Lankan Green Beans Curry
Aloo Gobi
Saag Paneer
Onion Pakora Curry
Chana Saag Curry
Potato Curry
Mushroom Curry
Masala Corn
Gobi Manchurian
Bombay Potatoes
Masala Dosa
Saag Aloo
Tandoori Hummus
Tarka Dal
Masoor Dal
Dal Makhani
Homemade Poppadoms From Scratch
Green Bean Thoran
Cabbage Thoran

Have you tried this chana dal recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I'm sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all my latest recipes.

Yield: 4

Chana Dhal - Yellow Split Lentils - A Popular Curry House Side Dish

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

300g dry chana dhal – soaked in water for two hours
3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch asafetida
1 - 5 green or red finger chillies – finely chopped
5 cloves garlic – finely chopped
3 tomatoes roughly chopped
1/2 onion - finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

Instructions

Rinse the lentils in several changes of water and then place in a saucepan with 750ml (3 cups) water.
Bring the water to the boil and be sure to skim off any of the foam that rises to the top.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are soft - about 45 - 60 minutes. Do not strain. Allow the water to reduce down.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt the ghee over medium high heat. Toss in the cumin seeds and fry for about 30 seconds and then add the chopped onions and sprinkle with a little salt to assist cooking. Fry the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Now stir in the garlic and chillies and fry for a further 30 seconds.
Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric, coriander powder, asafoetida and cumin powder and stir well to combine.
Your lentils are ready when they are nice and soft. You can serve it like this or do as many chefs and blend the lentils until creamy.
Whisk the onion and ghee mixture into the lentils and sprinkle in the garam masala.
To serve, top with a little chopped coriander and a little more garam masala if you like.

How To Make Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry

January 19, 2012 By Dan Toombs 134 Comments

Chicken chilli garlic curry is a curry house favourite!

Now you can make chicken chilli garlic curry that is just as good as, if not better than what you find at the best curry houses. This recipe is straight forward, authentic and easy.

If you like garlic and a spicy kick to your curries, this chicken chilli garlic curry is one you need to try. Make your curry into a feast with a side of rice, naans or chapatis, a selection of chutneys and dal. Of course, don't forget the samosas!

Who should make chicken chilli garlic curry?

Garlicky and spicy, chicken chilli garlic curry has to be one of my all time favourites.

I have experimented with this recipe many times and talked my way into a few restaurant kitchens for tips. This is a winner!

Anyone who loves garlic and spicy chillies needs to give this chicken chilli garlic curry a try.

This recipe is quite spicy but not numbingly so. You can always add a few more chillies at the end if you want to turn the zing into a zap.

If spicy curries aren't your thing, just reduce the amount of chillies and/or chilli powder.

Getting curry house style curries right...

At curry houses, the chefs make their curries using a base sauce. This is an essential ingredient for achieving that famous flavour and sauce texture.

This means that there is some prep work you need to do before starting a curry house style curry.

I usually make my tandoori meats and base curry sauce in large batches so I always have some on hand for that last minute curry craving.

Once the preparation is done, both the sauce and tandoori meat can be frozen with excellent results.

If you want to take you Indian restaurant style curries to a whole new and delicious level, try my spice blend recipes too.

PLANNING AHEAD

Getting your ingredients together

It is always a good idea to get your ingredients together before starting cooking. This saves time and also ensures you don't have to go looking for ingredients once you start.

Curry Sauce
I have written a large and small version of my curry sauce recipe which will need to me made before cooking this recipe.

The large version is made just like they do in the best curry houses. Make a large batch for best results.

It keeps in the fridge for three days and freezes well. The small batch version works well too though it's not as authentic.

Pre-Cooked Chicken
I pre-cook chicken in two ways. Most restaurant use this method to prepare their chicken for this curry. You could also add tandoori style chicken tikka to this recipe if you'd like to create tandoori Chicken Chilli Garlic.

Mixed Powder

One of the ingredients added to curry house style curries like this chicken chilli garlic curry is mixed powder.

This is an Indian restaurant curry powder. I have a link to my recipe for it in the recipe below but you could use a good quality curry powder if you must.

Alternative Ingredients...

So this might be a chicken chilli garlic curry but the recipe is really all about the sauce.

You don't have to use chicken! Just like when you go out for a curry and see chilli garlic curry on the menu, you can decide what goes into it.

Try this with tandoori lamb tikka, paneer, keema or vegetable kofta for example.

If it sounds good, it will be.

Following are step by step photos of the cooking process.

frying garlic slivers and onion — Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the garlic slivers until soft but not burnt. Stir in the onion and fry for a further 3 - 5 minutes.

Adding chillies and garlic/ginger paste to the pan — Stir in the chopped chillies and garlic and ginger paste. Fry for about 30 seconds.

How does this chicken chilli garlic curry recipe differ to the one in my books?

Not a lot really.

In my cookbooks 'The Curry Guy' and the new 'The Curry Guy Bible', the recipes are made to serve 4 or more as part of a multi course meal.

In this recipe I make it to serve 1 - 2 people. It is a curry house portion.

In my books I also explain how to get some more amazing flavours into the sauce but you will get excellent results with this recipe.

Adding chilli powder and mixed powder to the pan — Stir in the mixed powder and chilli powder.

Stirring tomato puree into the pan — Stir the tomato puree into the pan and bring to a simmer.

Simmering chicken chilli garlic sauce — Bring to a simmer.

Adding pre-cooked chicken to the pan — Add the pre-cooked chicken and stir to coat with the sauce.

Stirring in dried garlic and coriander (cilantro) — Add a little dried garlic and some coriander. (optional) and stir it into the sauce.

Adding dried fenugreek — Add the dried fenugreek (methi) and stir it in.

finished chicken chilli garlic curry — Top with some more coriander and dried garlic flakes if you like. A twist of lime juice is also nice. Season with salt to taste.

Here are some more curry house favourites you might like to try!

Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Korma
Chicken Madras
Chicken Dhansak
Lamb Rogan Josh
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Patia
Lamb Bhuna

Yield: 2

How To Make Chicken Chilli Garlic

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

3 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
8 garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
2 (or more) fresh green chillies, sliced into thin rings, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp mixed powder or curry powder
1 tbsp tandoori masala
70ml (1/4 cup) tomato purée
300ml (1 1/4 cups) base curry sauce, heated
300g (11 oz) tandoori chicken tikka
1 handful of dried garlic flakes (optional)
1 tsp dried fenugreek (methi) leaves
2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
Juice of one lime (optional)
Salt

Instructions

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the garlic. It is very important not to burn the garlic, so watch the pan and move the slivers around in the pan until they become soft and are just beginning to brown.
Now add the onion and fry for about 3 minutes until soft and translucent, sprinkling a little salt over the onions to help release moisture.
Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and chillies, and fry for about 20 seconds. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground spices and tomato purée and sizzle for a further 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
Add about a ladle or two of the base curry sauce and bring to a rolling simmer. (You don’t need to stir the sauce unless it is obviously catching on the pan.)
Be sure to scrape any sauce that caramelises to the sides of the pan back into the sauce. Add more base as required. If the curry is looking too dry, add more base. If too saucy, just cook it down.
Add the pre cooked chicken and coat with the sauce
Continue simmering until fenugreek leaves and check for seasoning, adding salt to taste.
Sprinkle with the chopped coriander (cilantro) and a few more chillies if you like. A twist of lime juice is a nice addition.

Chicken Pathia

January 18, 2012 By Dan Toombs 62 Comments

Like your curries sweet, sour and mildly spiced? Try this chicken pathia!

Many people love a good pathia and the great news is, they are easy to prepare at home. No need to go out for an expensive takeaway! Give this recipe from my cookbook 'The Curry Guy Bible' a try. The recipe in my cookbook serves 4 but I have scaled this one down to a curry house portion to serve one to two. You can easily upscale the recipe if you like.

About this recipe

Chicken pathia is a UK original! It was developed first by Bangladeshi chefs at British curry houses in an attempt to compete with the hugely popular sweet and sour chicken that was becoming popular at Chinese takeaways.

Chicken pathia is so good with plain Basmati rice or flavoured Basmati rice. You might also like to try it with naans or chapatis. Don't forget the homemade dal and samosas! You might also like to serve this with homemade poppadoms and a selection of chutneys and raitas.

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How To Make Base Sauce and Chicken Tikka

The Base Sauce

In order to get this chicken pathia to taste just like it does when you go out, you will need to do some forward planning. First, you will need to cook a base sauce and have it hot and ready to add to the curry. Following are a few methods you can try with the first and second options being the closest to how. base sauce is cooked at restaurants.

You can also freeze the base sauce for that last minute chicken pathia craving. Just be sure to label and date it and freeze it in convenient sized containers. It will freeze for up to 6 months.

The Pre-Cooked Chicken

Ingredients

Get your ingredients prepared and ready before you start cooking. With the prep done, this recipe should only take about 10 minutes to cook!

rapeseed (canola) oil
onion, finely chopped
garlic and ginger paste
mixed powder
Kashmiri chilli powder
sugar (more or less to taste)
tomato puree or passata
base curry sauce
pre-cooked chicken
smooth mango chutney
tamarind concentrate
dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
Juice of one lemon
red food colouring (optional)
chopped coriander (cilantro)
Salt to taste

See recipe card for quantities.

Step by Step Photographs

When you look at these step by step photos, you see just how quickly and easily your chicken pathia will come together. For more detailed instruction, please read the method in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Heat the oil over a medium-high heat and stir in the chopped onions. Fry for about 5 minutes to soften.

Adding garlic and ginger paste to the frying onions in the pan.

Step 2: Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for another 30 seconds.

Adding spices to the onions, garlic and ginger in the pan

Step 3: Now add the ground spices and stir well to combine.

Adding tomato puree (pasatta) to the pan.

Step 4: Add the passata or tomato puree and bring to a simmer.

Adding base sauce to the pan and bringing it to a simmer.

Step 5: Add about a ladle of the base sauce and bring to a simmer.

adding pre-cooked chicken to the curry sauce in the pan

Step 6: Stir in the pre-cooked chicken.

Adding mango chutney and tamarind to give a sweet and sour flavour to the sauce.

Step 7: Add more base sauce as needed. If the curry is looking dry, add more. If it is too liquidy, cook it down to your preferred thickness. Stir in the dried fenugreek leaves, tamarind and chuntney.

FInishing the curry off by adding food colouring and garnishing with chopped coriander (cilantro)

Step 8: Add the coriander (cilantro) and season with salt to taste.

Step 9: Give it all another good stir. This is a good time to adjust the sweet and sour flavours to taste too.

Step 10: Serve hot with rice or naans.

Tips & Tricks

Get that pan smoking hot. In the recipe I suggest cooking over a medium-high heat but as you get better at cooking curry house style curries, feel free to turn up the heat for more caramelisation and flavour.

Substitutions

Chicken pathia is hugely popular at restaurant but so are other proteins.

You might like to add tandoori prawns to the sauce instead of chicken to make a prawn patia. Lamb tikka, vegetable kofta, tandoori paneer, beef... All of these will work.

Variations

Variation is what curry house style cooking is all about. This recipe is for a pathia like you might have tried many times at Indian restaurants and takeaways. You can, however vary the flavour to taste. It may not still be a traditional chicken pathia but it could be just the flavour you are going for. Try some of the following and see how you like it:

Spicy - Stir in chopped green chillies to taste or and more chilli powder
Deluxe - This recipe doesn't call for cream but you could add some for a creamier texture at the end of cooking, just before serving.
Kid friendly - Leave out the chilli powder or use sweet paprika.

Equipment

At curry houses, the chefs most often use inexpensive aluminium pans because they heat up fast. Personally I have cooked curries like this chicken pathia in many different pans such as stainless steel and cast iron. It works so use what you have.

That said, I don't recommend using pans with a non-stick surface. You want the base sauce to caramelise to the pan for additional flavour which is not possible

Storage

If you would like to work ahead or have leftovers, you can store your curry in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It will actually improve as the flavours develop.

You can also freeze this curry for up to 6 months. Just let it defrost completely and then reheat in a pan or in your microwave.

Top Tip

Cooking curry house style was developed over time for ease, speed and economy at restaurants. Get you base sauce heated up and your ingredients at the ready before you start cooking. You'll be able to whip this popular curry up in minutes!

FAQ

What is the secret to achieving the authentic British Indian restaurant (BIR) curry flavour?

That amazing flavour comes from several things including a base sauce and pre-cooked meats and vegetables. Using these will get you what you're looking for. Yes, there is some preparation to do but once that's done, you will be cooking curry house style curries like a professional.

How do you prepare a proper base sauce?

Over the years I have added a few different base sauce recipes to this blog. The one I use most is the curry house version which is slowly cooked for about an hour or longer. You will also find my 20 minute base sauce and slow cooker base sauce are excellent substitutes.

What oil is used by chefs at curry houses?

It is usually sunflower or rapeseed oil because both of these oils have a high smoking point, perfect for this style of cooking. For a richer flavour, you could also use ghee. Any oil with a high smoking point will do. Just don't ever use olive oil. It tastes great on a salad but it will burn and taste terrible in a curry like this.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these mild curries:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

See more Indian Rice Recipes →

Yield: 4

How to Make Chicken Patia Curry - A Sweet And Sour Curry House Favourite

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1 tbsp mixed powder
1 tsp red chilli powder (more or less to taste)
1 tbsp sugar (more or less to taste)
70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
300ml (1 1/4 cup) approx. base curry sauce
350g ( 12oz) pre-cooked chicken
1/2 tbsp smooth mango chutney
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate
1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
Juice of one lemon
red food colouring (optional)
2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir in the chopped onion and fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or until soft.
Add the garlic and ginger paste and stir, allowing to sizzle for about 45 seconds.
Now add the mixed powder, chilli powder, and sugar and fry for a further 30 seconds.
Add the tomato puree followed by a ladle of base sauce. Continue adding a little base as required. If the curry is looking too dry, add more base sauce. If too saucy, just cook it down.
Stir in the pre-cooked chicken or what ever pre-cooked main ingredient you like.
Now add the tamarind concentrate and mango chutney and stir it into the sauce.
Allow to cook down to your preferred sauce texture or add more base sauce if necessary.
Add the dried methi and lemon juice. The stir in the food colouring if using.
Garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro) and season with salt to taste.

Chickpea Curry

January 8, 2012 By Dan Toombs 13 Comments

If you like this chickpea curry recipe, let me know. I have many more

This chickpea curry can be served hot or cold. If served hot, you should add more tomatoes and spices to make a more liquid sauce. I prefer to eat chickpea curry cold as an appetizer or light lunch. Chickpea curry is normally eaten by hand or wrapped up in an Indian bread such as naan.

Over the years, I have come across quite a few chickpea curry recipes and they almost always go down well. This recipe is my own though it is quite similar to most of the recipes out there.

I love recipes like this. They are low in fat yet you don't have to compromise on flavour. If you agree, please use the share icons at the bottom of this page to help spread the word. Thanks.

Chickpea curry is often eaten by hand or wrapped in chapati or naan.

Yield: 4

How To Make Chickpea Curry - Delicious Indian Street Food

Ingredients

400ml (1 tin) chickpeas
1 large tomato chopped
1 onion roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic - smashed
1 inch ginger - sliced and smashed
1 (or more) fresh green chili chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala - my homemade recipe is here
1 teaspoon amchoor (dried mango powder)
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Blend the onion, tomato, garlic, ginger and chili together in a food processor until smooth and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and then add the bay leaves and turmeric. The turmeric will darken in colour as if fries.
Stir the turmeric and bay leaves in the oil for about 30 seconds and then add the chickpeas along with the cumin, coriander, garam masala and amchoor powder.
Pour in the tomato mixture and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates - about five minutes.
Check for seasoning, adding just enough salt and pepper and allow to cool to room temperature.

In India, chickpea curries like this are very popular street food. Try serving this chickpea curry at your next dinner party with a glass of cold riesling.

Chilli Roasted Pistachios

December 30, 2011 By Dan Toombs 11 Comments

Chilli roasted Pistachios anyone?

These chilli roasted pistachios just plain gets it!

Great for picnics or snacks you can’t go wrong with this easy dish so I really hope you give it a try.

Once made, they keep for months in an air-tight container in a cool and dark place. I usually quadruple this recipe for that reason.

The spicy and savoury ingredients would work with almost any type of nut but I really love the flavour of these chilli roasted pistachios together with the tangy lime.

It works so well with the natural sweetness of pistachios. Plenty of salt is also a good thing. At least for your taste buds!

I purchase unsalted pistachios. If you can only find salted pistachios, leave the salt out of the recipe and add it at the end.

To shell or not to shell?

I like these both with the shells on or shelled.

If I'm cutting back on the calories, I leave them in the shells. It's more work and they are also cheaper to purchase that way.

If you really want to go for it though, buy your pistachios shelled. Yum!

That's how I usually do it.

Where is this roasted pistachio recipe from?

I'm not even sure if it's Indian as I've never seen them served there. I first tried roasted pistachios like this at a curry house in Darlington.

They were so good and the perfect start to the meal. I think the chef there added a little honey to his roasted pistachios too but I like this recipe as is.

If you want to add a bit of sweetness, honey roasted pistachios are very good. Just add about 2 tsp honey to the following recipe.

Getting this recipe right.

When you first take the roasted pistachios out of the oven, they may not be as crunchy as you are expecting.

That's ok! This recipe works. Just let them cool slightly and they will be deliciously crunchy.

Once you try the recipe, however you might like to try other variations. The main part of this recipe is the roasting time, add what you like.

Rosemary is awesome, pounded and then added to the marinade. So is black pepper! You might also like to adjust how much chilli powder you use.

Taste and adjust is what I always say.

Step by step instructions... Be sure to watch the video.

roasted pistachios — Add the olive oil and lime juice.

Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well to coat.

Baking pistachios — Bake until roasted to your liking. Be sure to stir from time to time.

chilli and garlic pistachios — I bet you can't eat just one.

Salted pistachios — Add a bit more salt if you like.

If you like these salty and spicy chilli roasted pistachios, you might like to try some of these snacks too...

Samosa chaat
Toor dhal samosas
Spinach chaat
dahi papdi chaat
Roasted chickepeas

Yield: 10

How to make Chilli Roasted Pistachios

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups pistachios
1/2 fresh lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven 175°C (350°F).
Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, salt and garlic powder. Stir in pistachios to coat evenly.
Spread the nuts over a baking tray.
Roast on the middle rack for about 20 - 30 minutes or until the spice mixture has dried on the nuts or shells.
The aroma in your kitchen will be amazing as they roast.
After about 30 minutes, remove the nuts from the oven. The nuts will get more crispy as they cool.

Whether you are planning an Indian dinner or you just want something different to present at your next get-together, chilli roasted pistachio should be on your list.

British Indian Restaurant Style Chicken Dopiaza

December 13, 2011 By Dan Toombs 21 Comments

chicken dopiaza curry — You've got to try this chicken dopiaza recipe!

This Chicken Dopiaza Recipe will get you restaurant quality results!

You are going to love this chicken dopiaza because it is the same if not much better than any takeaway.

Chicken dopiaza is one of the most requested curries at Indian restaurants. It is so good. Equally as popular is lamb dopiaza and I have a recipe for it too right here.

What makes these curries so good is the slow cooked onion sauce.

You will want to check out my recipe. Get that easy preparation recipe right and your chicken dopiaza will be better than any takeaway.

The onion sauce is slowly cooked in a low oven for up to ten hours. The longer the better. This slow and low cooking makes the onions sweet and very tasty.

In this chicken dopiaza recipe I added the onion sauce just as it was when I took it out of the oven. In the lamb do piazza curry version, I blended the onion sauce. Both are good but the texture and even the flavour is quite different.

I recommend trying both, especially if you are serving lamb and chicken do piazza curries at the same time. They will taste quite different but will have that unmistakable dopiaza flavour.

Do I actually have to cook the onions for 10 hours?

No. There is a 'second best' which is almost as good and still much better than you will get at most restaurant. Simply fry some sliced onions in a little butter or oil over low heat for about half an hour.

When the onion is soft and golden brown in colour, it's ready to use.

Preparing Ahead

Curry Sauce
I have written a large and small version of my curry sauce recipe which you will to make before cooking this recipe. The large version is made just like they do in the best curry houses. Make a large batch for best results. It keeps in the fridge for three days and freezes well. The small batch version works well too though it's not as authentic.

PRE-COOKED CHICKEN
I pre-cook chicken in two ways. Most restaurants use this method to prepare their chicken for this curry.

It's slowly stewed in a spiced broth. The liquid from the resulting stock can be added to your chicken madras for extra flavour. You could also add tandoori style chicken tikka to this recipe if you'd like to create tandoori tandoori chicken dopiaza. For this recipe I used the slowly stewed version.

Making chicken dopiaza curry — Some of the main ingredients including the pre-cooked chicken tikka.

Here are more curry house curry favourites you might like to try!

Chicken Korma
Chicken Madras
Chicken Dhansak
Lamb Rogan Josh
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Chilli Garlic
Chicken Patia
Lamb Bhuna

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Yield: 4

How To Make Restaurant Style Chicken Dopiaza

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

800g - pre cooked chicken
4 tablespoons ghee
3 tablespoons garlic and ginger paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 - 2 teaspoons mild red chilli powder
500ml onion sauce
500ml base curry sauce
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
2 handfuls of fried onion (make it yourself of purchase at Asian shops)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small bunch fresh coriander - chopped

Instructions

Melt the ghee over medium high heat.
Pour in the spices and fry for about 60 seconds.
Now add the garlic and ginger paste along with the tomato paste and stir it all up to combine.
Add the onion sauce followed by the curry sauce and chicken. Add a little of the cooking stock from the chicken for more depth.
Simmer for a couple of minutes and then add the dried fenugreek leaves and fried onions.
Stir it all up and add the coriander and salt and pepper to taste.

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I hope you like this restaurant style chicken dopiaza recipe. If you do give it a try, please don't be a stranger. Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.

Onion Sauce

December 13, 2011 By Dan Toombs 37 Comments

British Indian Restaurant (BIR) style onion sauce is super easy to make but takes a long time so plan ahead.

This onion sauce is part of what makes do piazza curries so good. It can also be added to other curries for extra flavour.

The secret to success is in the slow cooking. I usually cook my onion sauce in a low oven over night. Doing this gives the sauce more depth. You can use the finished onion sauce exactly as it is when you take it out of the oven or blend it if you prefer smoother curries.

When you take the finished sauce out of the oven, the top will be slightly blackened. Try it. If you like the flavour, stir it in. If not, skim it off the top.

Making onion sauce — I used four onions this time around.

How To Make A Tasty Onion Sauce To Add To Your Curries

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 hours

Total Time 10 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 onions - finely sliced
2 red bell peppers - finely sliced
Curry sauce - enough to cover plus about 200ml water
1 teaspoon fennel powder
3 whole cloves

Instructions

Slice the onions so that the are paper thin. You want to almost fill the pan you are using with the onions.
Slice the red bell peppers and place them on top of the onions to fill the pan.
Add the fennel powder and cloves and cover.
Now add the base curry sauce so that it covers the onions and about 200ml water.
Place on a low heat and bring very slowly to a simmer.
This is when I place the onion sauce in the oven on the a very low temperature with the lid on. You can leave it there all night if you like. The longer you cook the sauce the better up to about ten hours.
The top of the sauce will be quite blackened when you take it out of the oven. Try it. If you like it, stir it in. If not, remove the blackened bits.
Place the finished sauce in a blender and blend until smooth or leave it chunky as it is.
Use immediately or freeze.

Mutton Biryani

December 5, 2011 By Dan Toombs 3 Comments

This mutton biryani can also be made with quality lamb meat.

There is nothing like a traditional mutton biryani. I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s a true favourite around my house.

For best results, try to purchase your mutton on the bone. Cooking the meat with or on the bone will make a great mutton biryani into a work of art.

This is a family sized mutton biryani.

I once got to see a massive mutton biryani being prepared for a wedding. It was cooked in a huge pot that was about the same size as a small car.

I think the chef must of thrown the meat from three sheep into that pot which was then covered with rice and spices and slowly cooked to perfection.

I have scaled down that recipe here so that you can enjoy authentic mutton biryani at home. If you would like to scale this recipe back up again for a special occasion, go for it!

Lamb vs. Mutton Biryani...

Mutton can be difficult to come by in the west though most good butchers can get if for you.

The flavour of mutton is deeper than that of lamb though lamb will still work very well with this recipe.

Whichever you use, ask your butcher to cut the leg into small pieces for you on the bone. By exposing the marrow in the bones, you will get a much better and more authentic tasting sauce.

Working ahead...

It is essential that you marinate your mutton for at least 24 hours or, better, 48 hours.

This is done not only for flavour but to tenderise the meat. Mutton is not as tender as lamb as it has a lot more muscle.

By marinating the meat for a long period of time, you will not only get a delicious mutton biryani, but the mutton will also be fall apart tender and amazing.

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If you like this recipe, you might also like to try some of these too...

Railway lamb curry
Kashmiri meatball curry
Keralan lamb curry
Keralan quick fried lamb
Staff Curry - Chana gosht

Yield: 6

Indian Food - How To Make A Mutton Biryani

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

4 cups basmati rice
1 good pinch of saffron
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 leg of mutton - meat cut into 3 inch pieces on the bone.
FOR THE MARINADE
250ml plain yogurt
2 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
3 fresh green chillies finely chopped
2 tablespoons garlic paste - That’s about 12 cloves mashed into a paste
2 tablespoons ginger paste - About two inches of ginger mashed into a paste
2 tablespoons papaya paste
FOR THE SAUCE AND RICE
8 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon whole cloves
5 black cardamom pods
5 Indian long peppers (Optional) you could also use a tablespoon of black peppercorns
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons cumin powder
2 tablespoon coriander powder
8 bay leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 two inch piece of cassia bark or cinnamon
2 cups fried onions - fry onions in oil until crispy and brown
1 large handful of chopped coriander leaves
1 large handful of chopped mint leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE YOGURT RAITA
500ml plain yogurt
3 cloves garlic smashed and finely cut
1 inch ginger grated and finely chopped
3 fresh green chillies finely cut
Juice of one lime
1 teaspoon cumin powder
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

First make the marinade by combining all of the ingredients and blending until smooth.
Coat the meat with the marinade and allow to marinate for as long as possible up to 48 hours.
When ready to cook, remove as much of the marinade from the meat as possible and retain it.
Heat half of the ghee in a large frying pan and brown the meat over high heat. You may need to do this in batches.
When the meat is nicely browned, wipe the pan dry with a paper towel and add the rest of the ghee.
When the ghee has melted and hot, add the cardamom pods, cloves, Indian long peppers (if using) and cassia. Be careful not to burn the spices and turn down the stove if necessary.
After about a minute, add the meat and stir to coat in the spices and ghee.
Add just enough water to cover the meat and the roasted bones. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Now add the retained marinade, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder and lime juice and stir well.
FOR THE RICE
The rice can of course be cooked earlier while you’re cooking the meat.
First place the rice in a bowl and cover with water. Stir the water around with your hand. The water will turn white from the starch. Repeat about ten times until the water runs clear and then let the rice soak for about half an hour.
Drain one last time and then cover with about 6 cups (1 1/2 litres) of water.
Add the salt and butter to the rice and cover. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Let the rice sit, covered for about 20 minutes.
The rice will not be completely cooked because you will be finishing the cooking with the meat.
Now bring about 150ml of water to a boil and add the saffron. Set aside.
TO FINISH
Scoop about half of the rice over the meat mixture and cover with half of the mint leaves, coriander leaves, bay leaves and fried onions.
Place the rest of the rice over this and top with another layer of coriander, mint, bay and onion.
Place a tight fitting lid on the saucepan. If you do not have a large pan with a tight fitting lid, you could make a water and flour dough and line the pan with it before sealing the lid on top. That is how it’s done in India.
Now, over a very low heat, let the mutton biryani simmer and steam for about 40 minutes. If you are worried the sauce could be burning to the bottom of the pan, turn the temperature way down.
After 40 minutes your biryani will be ready to serve. Take it to the table and lift the lid. The room will fill with the amazing aroma of the spices, rice and meat juices.
Now you can ceremoniously pour the saffron water over the top of the rice.
Serve the mutton biryani with the yogurt raita which is made by simply blending the raita incredients until smooth.

I hope you enjoy this mutton biryani recipe. If you do try it, please leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you.

How To Make A British Indian Restaurant (BIR) Style Prawn Bhuna

November 29, 2011 By Dan Toombs 18 Comments

Prawn bhuna is a thick curry that is great served on its own

Although I have tried a lot of restaurant style prawn dishes over the past years, I have to say this is one of my favourites. It's funny as I've never really been all that crazy about buhna curries.

Buhnas are quite dry and I prefer my curries with a bit more sauce.

This prawn bhuna is different because prawns just don't need a lot of sauce.

I guess I just like the flavour of the prawns which all too often are over-powered by a strong curry gravy.

Not here!

This prawn bhuna just gets it!

I have left the prawns whole so that you get a nice mouthful with each bite. The sauce is also not overpowering though it is a bit spicy.

I serve this hot curry with a simple lettuce salad that is mixed with mint leaves. Personally I think it's the perfect accompaniment. I hope you agree.

Prawn Bhuna INGREDIENTS

3 Tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
25 prawns in their shells
500ml curry gravy
1 Tablespoon ginger paste
1 Tablespoon garlic paste
1 Tablespoon cumin powder
1 Tablespoon red chilli powder
1 Tablespoon Coriander powder
1 Tablespoon tomatoe paste
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 four inch cinnamon stick
Juice of one lemon
1 small bunch coriander leaves - chopped
Salt and pepper

method

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pan or wok over a medium to medium high heat. If the oil begins to smoke, turn down the heat.

When the oil/ghee is quite hot, throw in the cinnamon stick and move it around in the oil for about 15 seconds before adding the prawns.

Fry the prawns until they are almost cooked through. This should only take a couple of minutes.

When the prawns are pink and almost about 90% cooked, remove them from the oil and set aside to cool.

Now add the ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder. Adjust the heat so that the garlic doesn't burn.

Stir continuously for about a minute and then add the turmeric, tomato paste and curry gravy.

As you cook the gravy, the turmeric will make it slightly darker. This is what you want.

Allow to simmer for about two minutes while you peel and devein the prawns.

Add the prawns to the gravy and stir to combine.

Throw in the coriander leaves and squeeze the lemon juice into the sauce.

When the gravy is quite thick and coats the prawns nicely, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy this prawn bhuna as my as my family and I do.

How To Make British Indian Restaurant (BIR) Prawn Jalfrezi

November 27, 2011 By Dan Toombs 2 Comments

The word Jalfrezi is a combination of two words, 'Jal' meaning spicy and 'frezi' meaning stir-fry

Prawn jalfrezi is a popular BIR curry that is easy and fast to make. Like most BIR curries, you can cook this dish in ten minutes or less. As this is a restuarant style curry, You could cook the prawns and prepare them in advance. This is how it is usually done at Indian restaurants in order to get the curry to the table faster.

Jalfrezis were invented in the days of the British Raj as a way of using up leftovers. If you would like to read a little more about the concept behind jalfrezi curries, and try a really nice curry, take a look at my rather more authentic chicken jalfrezi recipe here.

Prawn curry fans who like a bit of spice will love this curry. The peppers, onions and green chillies add a nice crunch to the recipe that really works great.

Serves 4

Prawn jalfrezi INGREDIENTS

3 Tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
25 Medium sized fresh prawns cooked, shelled and cut into thirds
2 Tablespoons garlic and ginger paste
1 Tablespoon roasted cumin seeds grinded into a powder
A pinch of turmeric
700ml curry gravy
1 green bell pepper - thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper - thinly sliced
1 white onion - thinly sliced
3 green chillis - chopped into rings
Salt and pepper to taste - I use a lot of black pepper with this dish

method

Heat a wok or large frying pan over the highest heat.

Add the ghee or vegetable oil.

Throw in the prawns and fry them until they are pink and lightly browned. Cut them in thirds and set aside in a bowl.

Now toss in the bell pepper slices, onion and green chilli.

Stir the vegetables around for about 30 second and then add the cumin powder, turmeric and ginger and garlic paste.

Fry for a further ten seconds before adding the curry gravy.

Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for about two minutes before adding the prawns.

Stir to combine and serve when the prawns are heated through.

I'm always looking for new recipes to try. Do you have a jalfrezi curry you'd like to share?

Roast Pheasant in Tandoor or Oven

November 25, 2011 By Dan Toombs 4 Comments

Easy and delicious... Give this roast pheasant recipe a try!

This is an updated version of my roast pheasant with honey glaze recipe. Originally, I cooked the roast pheasant in my oven but today I decided to get outdoors and cook it in my Doori tandoor oven. The result was truly spectacular with flavours not only from the delicious marinade but also cooking in the hot and smoky tandoor.

Whether you use an oven, barbecue or tandoor to cook this, I really hope you give my roast pheasant recipe a try soon.

About this roast pheasant recipe.

Cooking the roast pheasant in a tandoor is quick and easy and you get the added bonus of the smoke flavouring the meat. You could cook this in your barbecue over indirect heat but using a tandoor is faster and in my opinion a bit more fun.

The most important part of the recipe is the marinade which is simple but the flavours go so well with the pheasant. I developed this recipe to be easier than my more elaborate tandoori pheasant recipe so that you could try it without all the fuss. If you would like to take a look at my authentic tandoori marinated pheasant recipe, you will find it here.

What does pheasant taste like?

Pheasant tastes a lot like chicken though it does have a slightly stronger flavour because it's wild. So using a good marinade that compliments that game flavour is always nice.

The marinade I have for you here is an easy tandoori marinade with the addition of honey that you baste the pheasant with at the end of cooking. This gives the skin a delicious sweet and smoky flavour.

You could actually use this same marinade with chicken but when it's pheasant season, I tend to stay away from boring chicken and go for pheasant or another game bird such as quail or partridge.

Do you have to cook tandoori roast pheasant in a tandoor oven?

No! I use a Doori tandoor oven which is economical and also easy to transport. It's great for taking to the beach or camping.

You could cook this roast pheasant over indirect heat on your barbecue. Aim for a cooking temperature of about 200°C/400°F and let it cook until the internal temperature reaches 74°C/175°F. The same applies to cooking the pheasant in your oven.

Which ever cooking method you choose, be sure to baste the bird with the melted ghee and honey mixture a few times at the end of cooking. Allow the pheasant to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Can you upscale or downscale this recipe?

Yes and I did it this time too. I made twice as much marinade and marinated two pheasants when I cooked this recipe. If you were to cook four pheasants, you could probably get away with just doubling the marinade.

How long can your store leftovers in the fridge?

If you happen to have leftovers, you can reheat them in a pan. Just shred or slice the meat and fry it in a tablespoon of oil.

if you have larger pieces or a whole bird, you could reheat it in an air fryer or oven until heated through. I usually do it in an air fryer and set the temperature to 200°C/400°F and cook it until heated through. You could do the same in an oven.

The meat will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Are there other ways to use tandoori pheasant?

Yes. Just like when you prepare tandoori chicken for curries, you can do the same with this meat. Adding cooked, smoky tandoori pheasant to a curry tastes amazing.

You might like to try this spicy pheasant curry or a milder coconut pheasant curry.

Step by step photographs.

The ingredients for the recipe laid out on a countertop. — Get all your ingredients together before you start. It's easier that way.

The pheasant rubbed with the garlic and ginger paste, oil, lemon juice and ground spices. — Whisk the lemon juice, oil, 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste and the ground spices together in a bowl and rub them all over and inside the pheasant.

Whisking garlic and ginger paste, yoghurt and salt together until smooth. — In the same bowl, whisk the yoghurt, salt and remaining garlic and ginger paste together until smooth.

Applying the marinade to the pheasant. — Rub this marinade all over and inside the pheasant. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. The longer the better.

Skewering the pheasant for cooking. — When ready to cook, skewer the bird down its backbone, from the neck end. Place a potato at the end to stop the pheasant from sliding.

Placing the pheasant skewer in the tandoor oven. — Move the coals to one side and place the pheasant skewer on the other.

Cooking the pheasant in a covered tandoor oven. — Let the pheasant cook, covered for about 20 minutes.

Letting the pheasant cook on top of the tandoor oven. — Take the pheasant out after 20 minutes and let it roast on top of the oven, turning from time to time for about 10 minutes.

Basting the pheasant with the ghee and honey mixture. — This is a good time to start basting the pheasant with the ghee and honey mixture. Do this a few times during the cook.

The roast pheasant on a cutting board, resting after the cook. — Continue cooking and basting, inside and on top of the tandoor until the internal temperature is 74°C/165°F. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

The roast pheasant on a paratha wrap with salad vegetables and hot sauce. — You could simply carve and enjoy but I like to eat the meat as a wrap with salad vegetables and sauces.

Roast pheasant from the tandoor oven in a wrap with salad vegetables and sauces. — You are going to love the smoky flavour of this roast pheasant!

If you like this roast pheasant recipe, you might like to try some of these other recipes, cooked in the Doori Tandoor.

Have you tried this grilled rabbit recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow The Curry Guy on Instagram and Facebook for all our latest recipes.

Yield: 2 - 3

Roast Pheasant with Honey Glaze

Try this updated version of roast pheasant with honey glaze recipe. Roast this delicious pheasant in an oven, tandoor or barbecue.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 pheasant
FOR THE MARINADE
1 tsp rapeseed (canola) oil
3 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp tandoori masala
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
250ml plain yogurt
TO BASTE
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp melted, hot ghee

Instructions

Whisk the oil, 2 tablespoons of the garlic and ginger paste, the lemon juice and all of the ground spices together in a bowl.
Apply this to the pheasant but rubbing it right into the flesh and inside the cavity. Set aside for 10 to 20 minutes.
Using the same bowl, whisk the yoghurt, remaining garlic and ginger paste and the salt together until smooth.
Rub this all over the pheasant inside and out. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. The longer the better. If marinating overnight, you can pour it all into a large freezer bag and seal it.
When ready to cook, build a fire in your tandoor. Please see notes for BBQ and oven method. Heat your tandoor up to around 230°C/450°F.
Rub most of the marinade off the pheasant and skewer it by running the skewer down the back bone from the neck end. Try to weave it through the meat to make it extra secury. It is a good idea to place a potato at the end of the skewer to stop the pheasant from sliding. I also used a clamp from my rotisserie but that wasn't really necessary.
Move the coals to one side of your tandoor and place the pheasant skewer on the other side. You really need to watch things as the dripping juices will probably cause the tandoor to get hotter.
If you find the tandoor is getting too hot and you have no way of reducing the heat, no problem! Simply take the pheasant out and lay it across the top. Turn it from time to time and it will continue cooking from the heat below. You can then return the pheasant to the tandoor once it has cooled some.
Regardless, it is a good idea to remove the pheasant from the tandoor from time to time to let it cook on top. This will help ensure that it cooks in the centre without scorching the exterior.
Continue cooking until the pheasant has reached an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F. You can do this both inside and on top of the tandoor. Toward the end of cooking, whisk the hot, melted ghee with the honey and baste the pheasant generously. all over a few times.
Once cooked, let the pheasant rest for 10 minutes before carving. You can eat it as is or wrap it up in a paratha or chapati which is my favourite way to enjoy it.

Notes

Oven and BBQ Cooking.

If cooking over indirect heat in your barbecue or in an oven, cook it at 200°C/400°F for about 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F. Be sure to baste it with the hot ghee and honey mixture a few times toward the end of cooking. Once cooked, let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Dal Makhani

November 21, 2011 By Dan Toombs Leave a Comment

Dal Makhani just like you get at the best Indian restaurants!

Butter, creamy, deliciously spiced, what's not to like about dal makhani? You are much more likely to see dal classics like tarka dal on curry house menus but a hot bowl of dal makhani is something special. This easy dal makhani recipe takes some time to prepare and cook but it's worth the effort. Actually, it's not a lot of effort at all. It's more of a waiting game. This is probably why you won't find this dal on many menus other than higher end Indian restaurants.

About this dal makhani recipe...

This recipe first featured in my cookbook 'The Curry Guy Easy' and then later in 'The Curry Guy Bible'. It was only after seeing it made many times that I came up with this recipe. You are going to love the creamy smooth texture and the buttery flavour is incredible with all those complimentary spices.

T0 get this dal makhani right, however, you need a bit of patience. There is no rushing the required soaking or cooking time! Many chefs have tried but this popular dal simply isn't the same if not completely cooked.

It takes 4 hours to cook the lentils on the stove but you can cook them in an electric pressure cooker in a fraction of the time. All is explained below.

Which dal is most commonly served at restaurants?

As mentioned above, you are far more likely to see tarka dal served at restaurants because of the red (masoor) and/or yellow (chana) lentils used. Red dal can be cooked in under 30 minutes and chana dal only takes about 40 minutes. Both dals only need to soak for about half an hour.

Makhani dal, on the other hand is made with whole black (urad) lentils. These lentils need to soak for at least 12 hours and it takes 4 hours to cook them until soft and creamy. This process is all shown in the photos below. So you can probably see why it is that they don't feature on many low cost curry house menus.

Luckily, this dal makhani recipe will get you creamy smooth dal like you get at the best Indian restaurants.

My first real bowl of dal makhani

So many people love dal makhani so it is little wonder that chefs wishing to please their customers feature it on their menus. I tried it a few times at restaurants in the UK and didn't think much of it. What were people thinking? Why did they think dal makhani was so good?

While in Mumbai researching recipes for my cookbook 'The Curry Guy Easy', I went into a Punjabi restaurant and ordered some dal makhani as a side for a few mains. It was amazing! When I asked the chef how he got it so creamy smooth, he invited me back to the kitchens where a huge pot of black dal was simmering away.

He told me how it had been simmering for 6 hours and that a proper dal makhani needs to simmer for at least 4 hours. So when I got home I tried it and it worked! Since then, I have had many deliciously cooked dal makhanis at restaurants in the UK. As the delicious dal catches on, people know what it should be like and restaurants have had to step up and cook it correctly.

Dal makhani in India

People in India love their dal. In some families, dal is served with every meal. They don't limit themselves to the dal that is most popular in the west.

Because of the time it takes to cook, dal makhani is still something for special occasions. That said, the use of pressure cookers is much more common in India and they can cook their dal makhani a lot quicker than using the one pot stove method.

Cooking makhani dal in an electric pressure cooker.

This makes a lot of sense as it greatly reduces the cooking time. Electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer has been an excellent addition to my collection of kitchen tools.

To cook the lentils, place them in your electric pressure cooker and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure cooker to come up to heat and start cooking.

After cooking on high for 20 minutes, allow the pressure to naturally release for another 10 minutes. Then manually release the pressure. Your black lentils will be cooked to perfection. Carry on with the recipe as written.

How to make one pot dal makhani

Ingredients for dal makhani — It's always best to get all your ingredients ready before starting cooking.

Step 1.

Soak the lentils for at least 12 hours. As the black urad dal lentils soak, they will rehydrate and plump up.

Step 2.

Simmer the lentils for about 4 hours or until fall apart tender. Don't rush this! You should literally be able to easily smash the cooked lentils between two fingers.

Step 3.

Strain the cooked lentils into a bowl and retain all of the cooking liquid. This will be added to the dal makhani too.

STEP 4.

Returning to your pot, heat the oil and fry the onions for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.

Step 5.

Stir in the garlic and ginger followed by the chopped tomatoes. Then stir in the ground spices.

Step 6.

Cover with some of the cooking liquid and add the cooked lentils.

Step 7.

Simmer for another 10 minutes and the stir in the butter and cream. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste.

When it comes to the butter and cream, do this to taste. Butter and cream taste great in pretty much everything. So if you want your dal makhani to be super buttery and creamy, that's how it's done. That and the naturally creamy, cooked lentils, of course!

Can dal makhani be frozen?

Yes. I do recommend, however, freezing it before adding the cream and butter which don't freeze well.

You can then defrost the cooked dal makhani and add the butter and cream just before serving.

If you like this dal makhani recipe, you might like to try some of the Indian Vegetarian favourites.

Dum Aloo
Pakistani Chickpea Biryani
Punjabi Saag Curry
Punjabi Rajma
Butternut Squash Curry
Sri Lankan Green Beans Curry
Aloo Gobi
Saag Paneer
Onion Pakora Curry
Chana Saag Curry
Potato Curry
Mushroom Curry
Masala Corn
Gobi Manchurian
Bombay Potatoes
Masala Dosa
Saag Aloo
Tandoori Hummus
Tarka Dal
Masoor Dal
Chana Dal
Homemade Poppadoms From Scratch
Green Bean Thoran
Cabbage Thoran

Have you tried this dal makhani recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I'm sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all my latest recipes.

Yield: 4 - 6

Black Lentil Dhal - A Punjabi Dish You Are Sure To Love

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

200g (7oz) black urad dal, soaked overnight in cold water
5 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt or to taste
3 tbsp butter
250ml (1 cup) single cream
Chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, to serve

Instructions

In a large saucepan over a low-medium heat, simmer the urad dall in water until fall-apart soft. You will need to top up the water from time to time while the lentils cook. After 3 -4 hours of simmering, the lentils will be perfectly soft.
Strain the lentils, reserving the cooking water, and set it all aside.
Wash out the pot and place it over a medium-high heat. When visibly hot, stir in the chopped onions and fry for about 10 minutes until soft and lightly browned.
Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for about 30 seconds before adding the chopped tomatoes and the spices.
Cook for another minute, then add about 125ml )1/2 cup of the strained lentil stock. Bring it to a simmer and then add the cooked lentils.
Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, adding more strained stock if needed, The Makhani dal should be thick and soupy.
To finish, season with salt. I recommend about 2 teaspoons which I think works really well but add it to taste.
Makhani means butter, so you can't leave that out. I recommend using about 3 tablespoons but if you don't want to use that much, the dal will still be delicious.
Stir most of it into the dal and then add whatever is left over to melt on top and sprinkle with the chopped coriander (cilantro) and you are ready to serve your masterpiece.

Spicy Squash Soup

November 3, 2011 By Dan Toombs 10 Comments

No fuss pumpkin soup! There are so many ways to make this.

This is the perfect soup for a cold Autumn day. My pumpkin soup recipe will take the chill out of any frosty evening.

Each year it's kind of a tradition around our house to make pumpkin soup when pumpkins come into season and this year was no exception.

This is a recipe that is very easy even for absolute cooking beginners. All you need are the freshest ingredients you can find, a pot, a knife and a blender. For a more refined texture, you could pass the finished soup through a fine mesh strainer but that's not necessary.

spicy pumpkin soup — Nicely spiced and a great way to cook pumpkin.

Ingredients and substitutes

I used my spice stock recipe as a base. It's simple to make and adds a lot of flavour to this soup. Great for vegetarians.

You could also use chicken or vegetable stock.

As for the pumpkin... This pumpkin soup recipe is one that works equally well with butternut squash.

That's what I do when pumpkin isn't in season.

Making spicy pumpkin soup — Frying the onions, carrots, bell peppers and chillies.

Working ahead

As with most soups, this pumpkin soup can be made ahead of time.

Feel free to make it a day or two before serving. The flavours will actually develop and your soup will be even better.

Making pumpkin soup — Pour your stock of choice in. The pumpkin pieces should be completely submerged in the stock.

If you like this pumpkin soup recipe, you might like to try some of these too.

Thai prawn soup
Thai Tom yum gai
Tom kha gai
Chickpea soup

Yield: 8

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

To make the optional red chilli creme, toast 10 Kashmiri chilli pepper in a pan over medium high heat for about 30 seconds. Then soak them in 300ml water for 30 minutes. Blend the soaked chillies with the water and add salt to taste.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 Kilo (2 lbs) skinned and diced fresh pumpkin
1 litre spice, vegetable or chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
1 green chilli pepper - chopped
5 cloves garlic - smashed and chopped
A pinch of dried thyme and oregano
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder (optional)
2 red bell peppers - seeded and chopped
2 onions - finely chopped
250ml fresh corn kernels
250ml double cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and then add the onions, chilli pepper, red bell pepper and garlic.
Fry until the the onion is translucent and soft.
Now add the spices and herbs followed by the chopped pumpkin. Cover the pumpkin pieces with your stock of choice.
When the pumpkin is soft, add the corn and then blend until very smooth.
Bring up to a simmer again and allow to cook uncovered for about 15 minutes.
Stir in the cream and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring back up to heat just before serving.

I hope you enjoy this pumpkin soup recipe. If you do try it, please let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.

How To Make That Popular British Indian Restaurant Style Duck Tikka and Mushroom Madras

November 1, 2011 By Dan Toombs 2 Comments

Duck tikka and mushroom madras can be made easily at home

As part of an ongoing series of posts showing you how to make British Indian Restaurant (BIR) style curries, I thought it was time to offer you this old favourite - Duck Tikka and Mushroom Madras.

The word tikka means 'pieces'. Usually these tikka are off the bone though I have had this delicious and hot curry served on the bone as well.

This BIR recipe can therefore be prepared in a number of ways.

Here I will show you my favourite options.

Please note that preparation option one takes a lot more planning but oh is it good!

Option two can be done quickly and easily. The end result is still mouthwateringly good and also less fattening. This is the version I'm showing up there in the right hand corner of this post.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, British Indian restaurant style cooking is all about delivering great Indian food to the table quickly. You are going to need to make my BIR style curry gravy before hand. This can be a big job but my recipe is for a large batch and it does freeze very well.

Make the gravy and you could be making top quality BIR curries quickly and easily in your own home whenever you want.

Click here to view the list of free restaurant style curry recipes I am adding to regularly.

You could of course purchase a ready made curry gravy but the resulting curry just won't be as good. I strongly recommend going the home-made route.

Serves 3 - 4

INGREDIENTS

1 farmed duck (option one) or 3 farmed duck breasts
1 Tablespoon garam masala

Curry sauce ingredients

3 Tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 Inch ginger - grated
1 Tablespoon turmeric
700ml (3 cups) curry sauce
1 Tablespoon cumin powder
1 Tablespoon coriander powder
2 Tablespoons red hot chilli powder
1 Tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
2 cups field mushrooms - cut in half or quartered
3 Tablespoons chopped coriander
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon garam masala

Duck preparation - option one

Bring a large pot - capable of holding the duck - to a boil.

Make about 30 holes in the fatty skin of the duck with a fork.

When the water is boiling rapidly, carefully place the duck in the water.

Allow to boil for about four minutes and then remove the duck from the water and dry it with paper towels.

Using a hair dryer, dry the skin even more. The more moisture/fat you can dry off the duck the better.

Now rub the skin of the duck with the garam masala and hang in a cool place for a few hours or preferably over night. This will allow more fat to drip from the skin and allow for nicer, crispier skin.

When you are ready to cook the duck, preheat your oven to it's highest temperature and bake it until crisp and the meat tears away easily. This takes about an hour.

Duck preparation - option two

Remove all the fatty skin from the duck breasts and cut the breasts into bite sized pieces.

Add a little oil to a pan and throw in the duck pieces.

As the duck pieces (tikka) cook, pour in about three tablespoons of the curry sauce.

Allow to cook in the gravy until the duck is just cooked through.

To finish

If using a whole duck, cut it into bite sized pieces on the bone.

Pour about three tablespoons of oil or ghee into a wok or pot and place over medium high heat.

Sprinkle in the turmeric powder and add the garlic and ginger. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Now add the mushrooms and fry for about 30 seconds.

Add the curry gravy, cumin, coriander powder, chilli powder and fenugreek leaves and stir to combine.

When the curry is nice and hot add the duck tikka pieces.

If you are using the crispy duck option, try to stir the duck while keeping the skin dry and crispy. This is not easy!

To Serve

Check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed and top with the fresh coriander leaves and garam masala.

I really love this curry and hope you do too! If you want, you can add a little chilli powder to make a vindaloo but for me, this duck tikka and mushroom madras is hot enough!

Stove Top Naans

October 31, 2011 By Dan Toombs 84 Comments

You really can make stove top naans that are as good as the cooking in a tandoor oven!

Fluffy, crispy, however you like them, you can make them as you like with this stove top naan recipe. You will find step by step photographs below of the process so be sure to check them out.

About this stove top naan recipe

In this recipe, you will be preparing naan dough the traditional way, with a yeast dough. Doing this, you get super fluffy and chewy naans that are to die for.

That said, most curry houses use an instant dough. That of course works well too and can be prepared in a fraction of the time. You can read my instant naan recipe here.

Can you use the same dough for other types of naans?

You bet. Make this dough and you can use it to prepare Peshwari naans and keema naans just to name a couple.

Stove top naans in step by step photographs.

Ingredients for stove top naans. — Get all of your ingredients together before you start. It's easier that way.

Frothy yeast in milk. — Mix the yeast and sugar with the hot milk. Set it aside for about 30 minutes or until it becomes frothy.

Eggs and yoghurt ready for whisking. — While you're waiting for the yeast to froth up, whisk the eggs and yoghurt together in a large mixing bowl.

Combining the eggs, yoghurt, milk and yeast with half of the flour. — If you have a standing mixer, use it. Pour the frothy yeast mixture into the whisked eggs and yoghurt and add half the flour.

Mixing the wet dough together. — Mix the wet dough together until smooth with no lumps.

Adding the remaining flour to the bowl. — Add the remaining flour. I also added some onion seeds which is optional.

Dough coming together in the mixer. — Once mixed, the dough will still be quite wet but will be coming together. Knead for 5 minutes.

Soft dough ball in a bowl to rise. — Form the dough into a ball and place in a bowl. Allow to rise for a few hours or overnight.

Dough after rising. — I let mine sit overnight and this is what I had the next morning.

Kneading the dough. — Add just enough flour so that you can knead it. The dough should still be sticky and some will be sticking to your hands.

Dough clumps ready for working. — Divide the dough into 8 to 10 clumps. Then add just enough flour to each to make a soft dough. It should be sticky but not sticking to your hands.

Dough balls ready for rolling. — The finished dough balls should look like this. Be very careful not to add too much flour! You want this dough to be very soft.

Naan brushed with oil — Roll the dough balls out and then brush the top with a little oil or ghee. The oil will help the naan char.

Water coated naan dough. — Rub the underside of the naan liberally with water. This will help it stick to the pan.

Slapped naan in the pan. — Slap the naan into a very hot pan. You want to slap it hard so that it sticks.

Bubbling naan — As the naan cooks, it will start to bubble on top. When you are happy with the bubbles, turn the pan over. If using an electric stove, you can flip the naan instead.

Charring the naan. — Turn the stove top naan toward the fire if cooking on gas and char it to your liking.

Finished stove top naan. — All done! Ready to be topped with your topping of choice.

Yield: 10

Stove top naans

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

300ml (1 1/4 cup) milk
7g (1 tsp) dried yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
3 eggs
300ml (1 1/4 cup) Greek yogurt
900g plain white flour plus more for kneading and dusting
Scant 1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tablespoons melted butter or ghee (optional)

Instructions

Heat the milk in a jug in the microwave until it is hand hot. Stir in the yeast and sugar and cover with a cloth. Place in a warm place for 30 to 60 minutes to awaken the yeast. It will become quite frothy.
While the yeast is foaming up, whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the yoghurt and whisk until smooth. Once the yeast has bubbled up, pour it all into the bowls with the eggs and yoghurt. Whisk again until smooth.
Now mix the baking powder and salt with the flour and sift half of it over the liquid mixture. You can mix this all by hand in the bowl or pour it all into a stand mixer as I did in the photos which is easier. At this point, the dough will be very wet. Add the remaining flour and knead into a soft dough.
The dough will be way to sticky to handle. Add just enough flour so that you can work it into a soft dough that is still quite sticky.
Knead this hard for about 5 minutes and then form into a large dough ball. Place the dough ball in a mixing bowl and cover. Allow to rise for a few hours or overnight.
Once the dough has risen, punch in down and knead for another few minutes. Then separate the stick dough into 8 to 10 smaller balls. The dough will still be quite sticky which is good. Now take each clump of dough and add just enough flour so that it is workable. It should be sticky but not sticking to your hands.
Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover the dough balls until ready to cook. Let these dough balls rest for at least 30 minutes.
TO FINISH
Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll a ball out into a flat circular disc that is nice and thin. Rub a little oil or ghee over the top and then pick it up, resting the disk, oil side down in your hand. Brush the other side liberally with water and then slap it right down into the pan. I use a small pillow covered with a dish cloth to handle the dough which makes things easier.
The naan disc will begin to cook on the underside and then bubble on the top. If you are cooking over a gas flame, turn the pan over so that the naan is facing the flame and char it to your liking. If cooking on an electric hob, you can flip it to cook the other side but you will lose some of those bubbles.
Pry the naan out of the pan and brush with a little ghee if you like. Each naan should take you no more than 3 minutes. Stack the naans and cover to keep warm to serve.

How To Make Banana Dosas - There's A Lot More To Indian Food Than Curries!

October 26, 2011 By Dan Toombs 6 Comments

I've been making banana dosas for years!

My kids are off school this week for half term. That usually means me avoiding work and spending time in the kitchen with them. It's one of those things we have always looked forward to - that is all of us except my 14 year old daughter who now prefers Facebook.

On Monday my youngest daughter Jennifer was thumbing through my recipe notes and found a recipe for Indian banana dosas. I'd taken a picture a few years back of the dosas I made and she decided she had to try them. We've been eating banana dosas ever since.

For breakfast - banana dosas!

For snack time - banana dosas!

For dessert... I think you get the idea.

The great thing about these rice flour pancakes is that they are really good for you. We use brown rice flour that is mixed with five bananas. We then top it all with frozen yogurt though I should point out they go much better with high fat vanilla ice cream.

I'll save that option for our next dinner party.

Banana dosas are so easy to make!

Serves 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS

250g brown rice flour
50g plain flour
Water - approximately 150ml - I never really measure
5 bananas
1 tablespoon sugar - more or less to taste
A small pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Making banana dosas — Jennifer mashing the bananas

method

Mash the bananas into a thick mushy paste in a large bowl. Kids love doing this!

Now sift the flour over the bananas and add the sugar and salt.

Mix to combine.

Pour some water into a cup and then slowly add it to the mixture while stiring with a wooden spoon.

You only want to add enough water so that the mixture is smooth but lumpy from the bananas and kind of plops off the fork when scooped up and dropped back into the bowl. It is quite thick.

to finish

Take a little bit of the oil and wipe it onto the surface of a non-stick pan.

Place the pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add a scoop of the batter.

Be careful not to burn the pancakes.

Let the banana dosas cook in the pan for about four minutes on the first side and three minutes on the opposite side.

Keep warm while you make the rest of the pancakes. Of course, if you have a large pan you should be able to cook a few at a time.

Please be sure to stop back around and let me know how you like these healthy dessert pancakes. They really are good and I don't even like sweets!

Judging from the amount of batter my eight year old just mixed up on her own while I was at work, it looks like it's banana dosas on the menu again tonight.

Tomato Chilli Chutney

October 24, 2011 By Dan Toombs 4 Comments

This tomato chilli chutney goes great with so many different Indian dishes.

If you are new to Indian food but familiar with Mexican salsas, you might still recognise this one. You make tomato chilli chutney in exactly the same way as an easy Mexican tomato salsa. Only the names are different.

This tomato chilli chutney is delicious served with poppadoms or slathered over lamb or chicken kebabs. It is also a nice dip for samosas. Be sure to check out the step by step photos I took for you below.

About this recipe.

Growing up in California, I tasted my share of delicious Mexican salsas. I love them.

When I moved to the UK, I was surprised to find that many Punjabi and Pakistani chefs offer a wide range of delicious tomato chutneys that were so similar to the Mexican salsas I already knew.

This tomato chilli chutney will go spectacularly well with so many different dishes. From salmon steaks to lamb and chicken tikka kebabs, it's a simple recipe that adds so much spicy flavour to the meal.

Is this tomato chilli recipe difficult?

No. As recipes go, this is about as easy as they come.

If you have a small food processor, it will come in handy but if not, you can finely chop everything with a knife.

How do you get the best results with this recipe?

We all have our one flavour preferences. This is how I make tomato chilli chutney but you might want to and should adjust the flavouring to your own personal taste.

You could add more or fewer chillies, for example. Salt is added to taste. I add about a teaspoon of flaky salt but you can add as much or as little as you like.

Salt really brings out the flavour of the other ingredients. Taste as you go!

Also, you need to decide how much lime juice to add. I add the juice of two limes but the lime juice should also be added to taste.

Do you have to use tinned (canned) tomatoes?

Not at all. I live in a cold climate so I find that tinned (canned) tomatoes work perfectly. They always have the same flavour.

In the summer months, I often use fresh tomatoes. The choice is yours but if you live in the UK or another cold place, tinned (canned) tomatoes are probably the best option.

How long can you store this chutney in the fridge?

You can store this in your fridge for at least three days. In my opinion, however it is best to consume the tomato chilli chutney on the day you make it.

On the day you prepare you tomato chilli chutney, it's a good idea to let it chill in your fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will allow the chutney to chill and also let the flavours develop.

Can you freeze tomato chilli chutney?

You could but I don't advise doing so if you plan to serve it as a dip or sauce.

This tomato chilli chutney is best made on the day with the fresh ingredients. I know I say to use tinned (canned) tomatoes but if you live in an area that has really red and ripe organic tomatoes that grow in under the sun, use them.

Want to try some other popular raitas, chutneys and pickles?

I have lots of delicious recipes for you that would be perfect for your next curry feast.

Raitas: Potato Raita, Cucumber Raita, Onion Raita, Honey and Mustard Raita, Pakora Sauce, Chilli Raita and Mint Raita.

Chutneys: Red Onion Chutney, Roasted Tomato Chutney, Onion Chutney, Tamarind Sauce, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Coriander and Coconut Chutney, Ginger Chutney, Garlic Chutney, Mango Chutney, Coriander, Mint and Mango Chutney, Coriander and Mint Chutney.

Pickles: Lime Pickle, Vegetable Pickle, Onion Pickle and Mango Pickle.

Step by step photographs.

Ingredients for the chutney. — Get all your ingredients together before starting.

The onion, garlic, chillies and coriander in a food processor. — Place the onion, garlic, chillies and coriander (cilantro) in a food processor.

Finely chopped onions, chillies, garlic and coriander in a food processor. — Blend to finely chop these ingredients. I prefer to do this before adding the liquid tomatoes.

Adding the chopped tomatoes to the finely chopped ingredients. — Pour in the chopped tomatoes and blend to combine.

Adding salt and lime juice to taste. — Now add salt and lime juice to taste.

It is so important to taste as you go for the perfect tomato chilli chutney.

Tomato chilli chutney in a serving bowl with poppadoms. — Serve with poppadoms, samosas, kebabs or whatever you think sound good.

Tomato chilli chutney spread over a poppadom. — Enjoy!

Yield: 4 to 6

Chilli & Tomato Chutney

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

400ml tinned chopped tomatoes
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic - smashed
4 green chilli peppers - chopped (more or less to taste)
1 small bunch chopped fresh coriander
Juice of two limes
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the onion, chillies, garlic and coriander (cilantro) in a food processore and blend to finely chop. This can of course be done with a knife.
Add the chopped tomatoes and blend again to combine.
Now add salt and lime juice to taste. For best results, place the finished tomato chilli chutney in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving.
That's it. Believe me, this tomato chilli chutney can make a good meal great!

Pinto Bean Thoran

October 21, 2011 By Dan Toombs 6 Comments

If you're looking for a nice vegetarian curry recipe, check this out!

What a nice flavour this curry has! It's easy and cheap to make and above all, it's filling. I often make it for lunch for my wife and me or serve it as a side dish at one of our many curry feasts.

Vegetable thorans are very popular in southern India. They are dry curries often served at special occasions. You can use any sturdy vegetable that will keep its shape when cooked such as green beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and pinto beans like I've used in the recipe.

In other words don't use vegetable like spinach that will wilt.

If you are looking for a vegetarian curry recipe that is certain to go down well, this will be it. Simply use the vegetables you and/or your guests love and you're off.

Yield: 4

Pinto Bean Thoran - A Vegetarian Curry Recipe That Tastes Great and Can Be Made in a Hurry

Ingredients

250g dried beans of your choice (You can use about 500g tinned beans but rince them first)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
About 15 fresh or frozen curry leaves
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1 small onion - finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (optional)
1 red chilli pepper - finely chopped
3 heaping tablespoons desiccated coconut
1 pinch turmeric
1 small bunch chopped coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Soak the beans overnight if using dried beans and then cook them until tender - 30 to 40 minutes will usually suffice.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat and throw in your black mustard seeds and curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the chopped onions, garlic (if using) and chilli pepper.
Mix in the beans and the turmeric. Again, stir to combine.
Add the coconut and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Top with the chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime juice.

Easy Monkfish Curry

October 12, 2011 By Dan Toombs 10 Comments

This easy monkfish curry recipe is so good!

Of all the quite difficult recipes I've attempted over the years, this easy monkfish curry recipe is still my wife's favourite. The flavours are simple work so well together.

If you like monkfish, you are going to love this easy monkfish curry recipe!

You really could use any meaty fish such as cod, halibut or coley but I have to say that I prefer it with monkfish.

How to get this recipe right...

It is essential that you use the freshest ingredients you can find.

Do that and you've expect a party in your mouth.

There are so many complimentary flavours in this easy monkfish curry. It may be simple but it just works.

About the coconut milk...

I have developed this recipe so that you can use a whole tin of coconut milk along with a little block coconut.

Block coconut is not available in every country but there are substitutes.

When I learned this easy monkfish curry recipe, I made it with freshly prepared coconut milk.

The light coconut milk was added first and then the creamy coconut milk was added at the end.

When using the tinned coconut milk, try to cook the fish in the light stuff. Then stir in thick coconut milk and/or as I have done block coconut at the end. You may need to open two 400ml tins if you can't find the block coconut.

What is kokum?

Kokum is a delicious souring agent used in many south Indian fish curries.

It is a dried berry that is added to the curry to give it a delicious sour flavour. I really hope you can find it where you live. There really is no substitute.

That said, you could substitute other souring agents like lemon juice or tamarind concentrate. The flavour will be different but it will still taste amazing.

Although edible, the kokum berries are not meant to be eaten.

Working ahead...

You can make the sauce up to a day ahead of time. Then just cook the monkfish in the heated up sauce until cooked through.

If working ahead makes things easier for you, then go ahead and do that with this easy monkfish curry.

Do you like cooking by photographs?

I have included step by step photographs of the recipe for you below. Just get your ingredients together and you're ready to go.

The written recipe is at the bottom of this page.

Monkfish marinating in turmeric — Marinate the monkfish with the turmeric.

Infusing curry leaves in oil — Heat the oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the curry leaves and infuse them for 30 seconds.

Adding onions to the oil — Add the chopped onion and fry for about 30 seconds.

Adding ground spices — Add the ground spices and chopped chillies and stir into the oil.

adding coconut milk and kokum — Add the coconut milk and kokum and simmer for a few minutes.

Stirring in the fish — Stir in the fish to begin cooking. Add the sliced chillies.

Adding tomatoes and coconut — Add the tomatoes and block coconut and continue simmering for a few minutes until the fish is cooked through.

Adding coriander — Add the coriander and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste.

If you like this easy monkfish curry recipe, you might also like to try some of these...

Keralan prawn curry
Keralan fish curry
White fish curry
Goan fish curry
Tandoori prawns

Easy Monkfish Curry

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

700g monkfish cut into bite size pieces
1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
1 onion - finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
2 green chilli peppers - finely chopped
2 green chilli peppers - halved
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
400ml coconut milk
3 - 4 kokum berries
10 cherry tomatoes - halved
50g block coconut
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
Juice of one lemon or lime (optional)
1/2 tsp garam masala

Instructions

Place the cubed monkfish into a bowl with the turmeric and mix well with your hands. Allow to marinade for about 10 minutes.
In a large pan or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the curry leaves and fry for about 20 seconds or until fragrant.
Throw in the chopped onion and fry until translucent and lightly browned. That should take about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger paste along with the chopped green chilli peppers.
Stir in the cumin and coriander powder and stir to combine.
Now pour in the coconut milk and bring to a bubble.
Add the kokum berries and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the halved chili peppers followed by monkfish, block coconut and the tomatoes. Stir it all into the mixture.
Allow the monkfish to cook through in the sauce. This should take about 5 minutes.

To serve

Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with chopped coriander.
I like to serve this monkfish curry with plain white rice because nothing more is needed.
Simply pour the monkfish curry into warmed bowls and enjoy.

I hope you enjoy this easy monkfish curry recipe. If you do try it, please let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you.

Chicken Jalfrezi Curry

September 27, 2011 By Dan Toombs 97 Comments

Chicken jalfrezi is one of the easiest BIR chicken curries to make.

This chicken jalfrezi recipe is the same as those found in my cookbooks 'The Curry Guy' and 'The Curry Guy Bible' but done as a British Indian restaurant (BIR) portion to serve 1 - 2 people.

In my cookbooks, the recipes are family size to serve 4 or more as part of a multi-course meal.

Chicken jalfrezi curry is THE MOST POPULAR curry in the UK Indian restaurants. That's right, it's not chicken tikka masala like many people think but that's still a close second.

Chicken jalfrezi is so good with plain Basmati rice or flavoured Basmati rice. You might also like to try it with naans or chapatis. Don't forget the homemade dal and samosas! You might also like to serve this with homemade poppadoms and a selection of chutneys and raitas.

Chicken jalfrezi is a great beginner curry!

There are two good reasons I say this.

If you want to make a British Indian restaurant (BIR) curry and you're not sure which one to start with, this chicken jalfrezi curry could be it.

Unlike other curry house favourites, chicken jalfrezi only requires two ground spices which are mixed powder and chilli powder. Easy!

It is also great from a spicing point of view. Fresh chillies are also added to the curry along with the chilli powder. Chicken jalfrezi is usually quite spicy but you are in control there.

You can reduce the amount used to your own taste preferences. That or add more like I usually do.

What exactly is a jalfrezi curry?

This is not an authentic chicken jalfrezi recipe like you might find in the cookbooks from the British Raj.

It's like what you would find in most good curry houses. The only real difference between and authentic chicken jalfrezi and this is the use of the curry house style base curry sauce. This is what gives the curry the flavour and sauce texture you are looking for.

Chicken jalfezi is a quick stir fry.

Back in the days of the British Raj, it would normally be made on the Sundays after big hunts.

The hunt parties would often be grand occasions. The Indian chefs would create massive feasts with the wild boar, deer and game birds shot.

Sunday, however was the day of rest and no one liked waste. So the pre-cooked meat served at the party would be cooked into a curry like this chicken jalfrezi.

What do you serve chicken jalfrezi with?

If you'd like to make this curry into a feast, you've come to the right place. You could just go for a side of Basmati rice or mushroom fried rice.
If you'd like to make naans, why not try one of these? Instant naans, Peshwari naans, stove top naans, keema naans, garlic naans, tandoor naans (if you have a tandoor oven), or if you're cooking outdoors, karahi naans. Oh, and really easy but just as delicious are homemade chapatis.

You might also like to serve up an easy curry house style tarka dal or slowly cook dal makhani.

Want to start your chicken jalfrezi meal off with a bang? How about fried shop bought poppadoms or if you're feeling ambitious, make your own poppadoms from scratch and serve them with coriander chutney, red onion chutney, and/or tamarind chutney.

Forward planning...

Curry Sauce
I have written a large and small version of my curry sauce recipe which will need to me made before cooking this recipe.

The large version is made just like they do in the best curry houses. Make a large batch for best results.

It keeps in the fridge for three days and freezes well. The small batch version works well too though it's not as authentic.

PRE-COOKED CHICKEN
I pre-cook chicken in two different ways. Most restaurants use this method to prepare their chicken for this curry. It is slowly stewed in spices.

The cooking juices can be used to add additional flavour to your curry. You could also add tandoori style chicken tikka to this recipe if you'd like to create tandoori Chicken Jalfrezi. In fact, if you'd like to try a variety of chicken tikka recipes, I have those for you too.

If time is an issue, you might also like to stew the chicken in the base sauce. This add a nice flavour to the base sauce.

OTHER OPTIONS

Although this is a recipe for chicken jalfrezi, the most important part of the recipe is the fried vegetables and sauce.

You can use any main ingredient you like.

Just like when you go to your local curry house and see jalfrezi on the menu. You can order chicken jalfrezi or ask for another main ingredient like tandoori lamb, paneer or even keema.

Following are a few step by step photos of the chicken jalfrezi cooking process.

Frying the vegetables — Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When visibly hot, stir in the onions, bell peppers and chillies.

Pouring in the tomato puree — Stir in the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.

Stirring in base curry sauce. — Add a ladle or two of the base curry sauce. Top it up from time to time if the curry is looking dry.

Adding meat to the chicken jalfrezi curry — Add the pre-cooked chicken to the pan and stir to coat in the sauce. Bring to a simmer.

Garnishing with coriander (cilantro) — Season with salt to taste and then add the quartered tomatoes, garam masala and some coriander (cilantro). A nice squeeze of lime or lemon juice is also good.

Adding kasoori methi — Stir in the kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves. One last stir and then serve.

Here are more curry house curry favourites you might like to try!

Chicken Korma
Chicken Madras
Saag Paneer
Chicken Dhansak
Lamb Rogan Josh
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Chilli Garlic
Chicken Patia
Lamb Bhuna
Chicken Tikka Masala
So good served with basmati rice.

Dig in!

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you've got to try!
1. Curry house style base sauce - Make a curry just like those at the best curry houses using this sauce.
2. Lamb Bhuna from Scratch - This one is from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot'
3. One Pot Chicken Dhansak - from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot
4. Asian Honey Glazed Baked Salmon
5. Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
6. Peruvian Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa
7. Korean Braised Beef Stew
8. Dal Makhani - An Indian restaurant favourite!
9. Tonkotsu Broth - When only the best will do. This one takes some time but it is just like you find at the best ramen restaurants!
10. Tonkotsu Ramen - Use that homemade tonkotsu broth in this ramen!
11. The Best Butter Chicken - Try it and you'll agree.
12. Authentic Saag Recipe - This is so good
13. Thai Beef Green Curry - Authentic recipe with homemade curry paste
14. Air Fryer Chicken Biryani
15. Cajun Mac and Cheese - The creamiest mac on the planet!
16. One Pot Chicken Vindaloo
17. Chicken 65 - One of my favourites. You might also like to try this air fryer chicken 65.
18. One Pot Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry
19. Homemade Sriracha Sauce - So much better than any sriracha you can purchase!
20. Tandoori Chicken Tikka - Homemade is alway best and this recipe gets restaurant quality results.
Have you tried this chicken jalfrezi recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow The Curry Guy on Instagram and Facebook for all our latest recipes.
Yield: 2
Chicken Jalfrezi

Learn how to make the most popular curry in UK Indian restaurants: Chicken Jalfrezi. Serve it with basmati rice or naans for a flavorful meal.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 2 - 3 green chilli peppers - finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp mixed powder or curry powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 250ml (1 cup) base curry sauce
- 300g (11 oz) pre-cooked chicken
- 1 tomato quartered
- 1 teapsoon of fenugreek leaves and a teaspoon of garam masala ( these are both optional )
- 1 small bunch chopped coriander leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. When hot, add the onion and bell peppers and fry for about three minutes. You want the veggies to still have a bit of bite to them.
2. Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for a further 30 seconds and then add the green chillies, chilli powder and mixed powder.
3. Stir well to coat the veggies with the spices and then add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.
4. Now add a ladle or two of the base sauce. Let this come to a simmer. Do not stir unless the sauce is sticking to the pan.
5. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce and stir so that it is coated with the sauce mixture. You are building this curry from the bottom up. If it is looking dry, add more base sauce. If you add too much, just cook it down until you are happy with the consistency. Ad the tomato and stir in and heath through for a minute
6. Season with salt to taste and adjust other seasoning too. If you want it spicier, you could add more chilli powder or green chillies for example. Just be sure to simmer any added spices for a while to cook out the raw flavour.
7. Sprinkle the fenugreek leaves and garam masala on top. Garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves and a twist of lemon or lime to serve.
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Nutrition Information:

Yield:
2
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 348mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 15g

The nutritional info provided is only an estimate.

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© Dan Toombs

Cuisine: British Indian Restaurant
If you like the sound of this chicken jalfrezi curry, please don't be a stranger. Leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

How To Make Indian Butter Crab

September 5, 2011 By Dan Toombs Leave a Comment

You've got to try Indian butter crab

Indian butter crab is probably the most fattening recipe I've ever made. I've cooked similar recipes on many occasions but last week I decided to try the real thing. I think every region in the world that has access to good fresh live crab has its own take on this dish but India gets the credit for being the originator of butter crab. This is a rich crab recipe that is great served with plain white rice or fresh naan bread.

If you have ever cooked live crabs before, you will know that they are usually cooked in boiling salt water. I was once invited to a seaside crab feast where the freshly caught crabs were cooked in the salty water of the Pacific and then eaten with melted garlic butter and crusty San Francisco sourdough bread. The simple dish was amazing.

Indian butter chicken is just as easy to make but it is slightly messier to prepare and eat. You won't need to burden yourself with serving the crab with melted garlic butter because the live crabs are cooked in the stuff! I served this to a group of friends while on holiday in Cornwall and the end result was extraordinary.

Here's what you need...

Cornwall caught crabs — Crabs caught off the Cornwall coast

INGREDIENTS for butter crab

1 one pound crab per person
4 litres melted clarified butter
20 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 Tablespoon garam masala
Freshly cracked black pepper
Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

method

In a large pot large enough to hold one or two crabs comfortably, bring the clarified butter to a bubbling boil.

Add the live crabs and cook one or two at a time for about eight minutes. Remove from the butter and set aside.

Continue until all of the crabs are cooked in this way. The butter will ooze into every crevice of the crabs' bodies. I guess that's why they call it butter crab.

When the crabs are all cooked through it's time to get your hands dirty.

Separate the top and bottom shells and remove the spongy finger-like bits inside along with any white membranes.

Remove the white bodies and cut them in half. Then using a mallet or something else with a little weight, crush the bodies slightly. This will make it easier to remove the meat from the bones.

Next, remove the brown meat from the inside of the shells. This meat may have hardened during cooking and be quite solid or it could be runny. Whatever it happens to be - it's also very tasty.

Set the brown meat aside and place the two body parts back in the shell to serve.

Again, using a mallet, crack the claws and legs open to make it easier to eat the crabs at the table.

Take about 250ml of the left over clarified butter and heat it up again in a saucepan. Add the chopped garlic and the brown crab meat. Whisk together to combine and cook for about two minutes. Be sure not to burn the garlic.

In a large tray, rebuild your crabs so that the large shells holding the bodies are in the centre and the legs and claws are on the outside.

Pour the hot garlic butter and brown crab meat mixture over the shells and sprinkle with garam masala, cracked pepper and the chopped coriander leaves.

Important ==> Butter crab needs to be served immediately or kept warm in a low oven for up to 15 minutes.

If you have any questions about preparing Indian butter crab, please do not hesitate to ask.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes - 5 Ways

August 15, 2011 By Dan Toombs 11 Comments

The perfect creamy mashed potatoes, every time!

Whenever I make creamy mashed potatoes at home, it's always a big hit with the family.

I have tried my share of masala mashed potatoes but this recipe takes them to a whole new and delicious level.

It is both easy and tastes great.

The trick is to use a ricer. Do that and you can adjust this recipe any way you see fit.

These creamy mashed potatoes just plain get it!

Creamy mashed potatoes done Indian style — Masala creamy masala potatoes are so good!

5 Options for creamy mashed potatoes...

OK, so this is primarily a curry blog so the main part of this recipe is for masala mashed potatoes. I love them and hope you give them a try.

These creamy mashed potatoes are superb, not just with Indian food but whenever you want to serve mashed potatoes.

They go well with most cuisines. I love them with my Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey!

Just under the recipe at the bottom, however I will give you a few alternatives that are equally as delicious but a bit more western in flavour.

Advice on getting the creamiest potatoes possible

Use a ricer! This will break down all the lumps so that you are left with super creamy mashed potatoes every time.

You could get away without using a ricer but you will need to mash and whip those potatoes much longer.

It is so important to get all of the potato lumps out if you want perfection.

Never Blend Mash!

It makes sense that some chefs would think you could get the same results by blending the mash in a food processor.

If you have every had those gooey mashed potatoes served at so many restaurants, that is what the chef did. Blending gives the potatoes and consistency of, for lack of a better word, glue or paste.

If you want really creamy mashed potatoes, you need to use a ricer or mash and whisk much longer. Food processors are not the answer!

Working ahead...

The great thing about making mashed potatoes is that once cooked and ready, they can be stored in the fridge for a few days.

Then just heat them up in the microwave or bake them in the oven until steaming hot.

If you like seeing recipe cooked step by step, I have you covered!

Getting ingredients for creamy mashed potatoes together — Get all of your ingredients together ahead of time.

boiling potatoes — Boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are soft enough to break apart with a fork.

potatoes in pan — Strain and then return the potatoes to the hot pan. Let them sizzle while moving around it the pan to get rid of any excess water.

Mashing potatoe — Move the potatoes to a bowl to mash. Mash until all the lumps are gone or use a ricer.

running mashed potatoes through a ricer — Press the mashed potatoes through a ricer if you have one.

melting ghee — Clean the pan and then melt the ghee over medium heat. Then add the cumin seeds to infuse into the ghee.

Adding chopped onions to the ghee — Stir in the chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent.

Adding turmeric, chopped garlic, ginger and chillies to pan — Add the chopped garlic, ginger and chillies and fry for about 30 seconds. Then add the ground turmeric.

adding double cream — Stir in the double cream and bring to a simmer.

adding coriander (cilantro) to pan — Add the chopped coriander (cilantro) and stir well to infuse the flavour into the cream.

simmering cream — Bring to a simmer for about 2 minutes to thicken slightly.

Adding mashed potatoes — Stir in the mashed potatoes and season with salt to taste.

Masala creamy mashed potatoes go very well with venison curry, lamb raan and tandoori chicken. In fact, they go well with any dish, Indian or other where you would normally serve mashed potatoes.

Last Christmas I served them with our Christmas turkey and they were devoured within minutes.

These creamy mashed potatoes are go good, you won't need any gravy. In fact, I often serve them with crispy fried sea bass with just a little coriander chutney.

So then... why not give these incredible mashed potatoes a try? You'll be glad you did.

If you like this creamy mashed potato recipe, you might like to try some of these too...

Pan fried sea bass with masala mash
Coriander and mint chutney
Aloo gobi
Masala dosas
Vada pav
Potato curry

Yield: 8

How to Make Out Of This World Masala Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 Kilo (2 lbs 4oz) Floury potatoes quartered
3 tablespoons ghee or butter
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves - smashed and finely chopped
1 1/2 inch piece of ginger finely chopped
1 onion - finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric (Add a little more if you want more colour)
2 tablespoons green chillies very finely chopped
1/4 cup double cream
1 bunch finely chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste

Instructions

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until they fall apart easily when pricked with a fork.
Drain and return the potatoes to the same pot and cook over medium heat for about a minute. This will get rid of any remaining water.
Mash the potatoes. I like to put mine through a ricer so that the potatoes are creamy smooth without any lumps.
Now in a large saucepan, melt your ghee/butter and throw in the cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to pop a little, add the onions and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and chillies and cook for a further minute.
Pour in the cream and coriander leaves and the add the mashed potatoes and stir to combine. The turmeric will give the potatoes a nice yellow colouring that is both attractive and very tasty!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 114Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 92mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g

As much as I would like you to try these creamy mashed potatoes as per the above recipe, here are four alternatives.

Plain creamy mashed potatoes

Perfect with any meal... Simply follow the instructions above, melting the ghee and adding the cream. The stir in the mashed potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garlicky Mash

I love garlic mashed potatoes. To make these, fry about 8 cloves chopped garlic in the ghee/butter until soft. Then add the cream and mashed potatoes and whip them up. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Few things beat potatoes and cheese together! To make these, heat the ghee/butter in the pan. Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer. Add about two handfuls of sharp Cheddar cheese and whisk briskly until smooth. Then add the mashed potatoes and whip them up. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Rather than using the butter/ghee, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a pan until hot but not smoking. Add one clove finely minced garlic and fry for about a minute. Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer. Then add the mashed potatoes and whip this all up together. Add a drop more olive oil and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy Lamb Chops

July 29, 2011 By Dan Toombs 4 Comments

This is a Kashmiri recipe for spicy lamb chops. Kashmiri lamb chops just don't get any better.

I've been making this recipe for many years. In fact a version of these spicy lamb chops was featured in my book 'The Curry Guy'. You will find this version in 'The Curry Guy BBQ'.

About this recipe

You will find kashmiri lamb chops featured on many curry house menus but they rarely look this good. Usually these spicy chops are boneless and pound until flat. This time around I decided to cut the lamb into double chops, perfect for picking up and enjoying at a family barbecue.

How do you make Kashmiri spicy lamb chop?

In India, mutton often refers to goat meat and this recipe is really good when made with goat, too. Here you will find the authentic way of making these amazing chops, marinating them and then frying. If you would rather place your chops on the grill instead of frying them, go for it. That’s nice too. Just grill over direct heat until charred and cooked to your liking.

The meat is first simmered in a spiced milk mixture which gives the spicy lamb chop a subtle yet outstanding flavour. Then you fry those seasoned tender chops for a couple of minutes. This really is the perfect starter course for any curry barbecue though these spicy lamb chops also make an excellent main course too.

What do you serve with these spicy lamb chops?

These spicy lamb chops are delicious served simply as a starter with a squeeze of lemon juice or a good chutney. If you would like to make them as part of a larger meal, why not try some of these one pan curries?

How about serving these spicy lamb chops with homemade naans? You find the naans you want to make here ---> instant naans, Peshwari naans, stove top naans, keema naans, garlic naans, tandoor naans (if you have a tandoor oven), or if you're cooking outdoors, karahi naans. Oh, and really easy but just as delicious are homemade chapatis.

Step by step photos

Toasting the gram flour — Toast the gram flour over a medium heat in a frying pan.

Toasted gram flour — You want the flour to turn about two tones darker from the toasting. Set aside.

Cutting the lamb chops into double chops — Cut your lamb chops into double chops and remove most of the surface fat.

The lamb chops in a pot with the whole spices. — Place your prepared lamb chops in a pot with the whole spices.

Simmering the lamb chops with the whole spices in milk. — Cover with milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer the spicy lamb chops for 30 minutes.

Lamb chops after being simmered. Patted dry. — Remove from the milk and pat dry.

Marinating the lamb chops. — Mix the lamb chops with the marinade ingredients and allow to marinate for 24 to 48 hours or just start cooking.

Frying the lamb chops — Fry the lamb chops until crispy. You could also cook them on the cooking grate over the coals. Frying is more authentic though.

Fried lamb chops on a paper towel. — Transfer the cook spicy lamb chops to a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

Spicy lamb chops ready to serve. — Enjoy

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you've got to try!

Curry house style base sauce - Make a curry just like those at the best curry houses using this sauce.
Lamb Bhuna from Scratch - This one is from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot'
One Pot Chicken Dhansak - from my book 'The Curry Guy One Pot
Asian Honey Glazed Baked Salmon
Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
Peruvian Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa
Korean Braised Beef Stew
Dal Makhani - An Indian restaurant favourite!
Tonkotsu Broth - When only the best will do. This one takes some time but it is just like you find at the best ramen restaurants!
Tonkotsu Ramen - Use that homemade tonkotsu broth in this ramen!
The Best Butter Chicken - Try it and you'll agree.
Authentic Saag Recipe - This is so good
Thai Beef Green Curry - Authentic recipe with homemade curry paste
Air Fryer Chicken Biryani
Cajun Mac and Cheese - The creamiest mac on the planet!
One Pot Chicken Vindaloo
Chicken 65 - One of my favourites. You might also like to try this air fryer chicken 65.
One Pot Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry
Homemade Sriracha Sauce - So much better than any sriracha you can purchase!
Tandoori Chicken Tikka - Homemade is alway best and this recipe gets restaurant quality results.

Have you tried this spicy lamb chops recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

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Yield: 4

Indian Lamb Recipes - How To Make Kashmiri Lamb Cutlets

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

3 tbsp gram (chickpea) flour
8 double-cut bone-in lamb or mutton chops
500ml (2 cups) full-fat (whole) milk, plus extra as needed
1⁄4 tsp cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 blade mace (about 2.5cm/1in)
5cm (2in) piece of cinnamon stick
3 green cardamom pods, lightly bruised
1 onion, quartered
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt, whisked 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt, or to taste
Rapeseed (canola) oil, for frying Lemon wedges, to serve
Flaky sea salt, to serve

Instructions

Place a frying pan over a medium heat and toast the gram (chickpea) flour for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously until fragrant and about two tones darker in colour. Set aside.
Place the lamb or mutton chops in a saucepan and pour the milk over them. The meat should be completely covered with liquid, so add more milk if needed.
Stir in the cloves, fennel seeds, mace, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and onion and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes and then remove the meat from the milk and pat dry.
Place the chops in a large bowl and coat with the garlic and ginger paste, lemon juice, yoghurt, chilli powder, cumin, coriander and salt. Once thoroughly coated, add the toasted gram flour and mix well with your hands. You can start cooking immediately or let the meat marinate in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
When ready to cook, heat about 2.5cm (1in) rapeseed (canola) oil in a frying pan over a high heat. When visibly hot, add the chops and fry for about 3 minutes until charred, then flip over to cook the other side. Continue cooking until charred and crispy in places. Drain on paper towels before serving with lemon wedges and flaky sea salt.

Notes

Although the traditional way to finish these chops is to fry them, they are also amazing grilled over a high heat on a cooking grate or skewered and cooked until charred to your liking. You can, however, get a delicious smoky flavour to the chops by using the dhungar method, which involves using a piece of burning charcoal to smoke the marinated meat. I find it easiest to do this by marinating the meat in a lidded wok. Make a well in the centre of the meat, then fold a sheet of foil in half and place a of burning charcoal on top. Put this into the well in the centre of the meat and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of ghee – it will begin to smoke. Immediately cover the wok and leave until almost all of the smoke has subsided. Cook as above.

How To Make Restaurant Style Lamb Rogan Josh

July 18, 2011 By Dan Toombs 88 Comments

Looking for that classic curry house style rogan josh? Here you go...

This rogan josh recipe is simply delicious and exactly as I have seen it made at so many popular curry houses!

I have been making this for years and though I love more authentic Indian recipes, there is something about a UK curry house rogan josh. You can try a more traditional Kashmiri rogan josh here.

Lamb rogan josh is so good with plain Basmati rice or flavoured Basmati rice. You might also like to try it with naans or chapatis. Don't forget the homemade dal and samosas! You might also like to serve this with homemade poppadoms and a selection of chutneys and raitas.

Rogan Josh curry with rice — Just like the best curry house style rogan josh curries! You've got to try this one.

The difference between this and the rogan josh recipe in my cookbooks...

When I wrote my first cookbook 'The Curry Guy', I decided to write the curry house recipes to serve four people.

That is really the only difference between that recipe and the one you find below.

This recipe shows how to cook a rogan josh curry as it would be made at most Indian restaurants to serve 1 - 2 people.

If you would like to make this two person curry to serve 4, simply double the recipe but be careful with how much chilli powder you use. That should be added to taste.

The difference between curry house style rogan josh and authentic Kashmiri rogan josh

With more authentic Indian rogan josh cooking methods, this curry needs to slowly simmer for a few hours. It needs to in order for the meat to become tender and to flavour the sauce.

With British curry house style cooking, rogan josh can be whipped up much faster. That said, there is some forward preparation to do.

The idea behind curry house style cooking, like this rogan josh recipe, is to get the curries out to the customers in minutes while still making the curry taste like it has been slowly simmering for hours.

The secret to an amazing rogan josh using curry house methods.

To make cooking faster at curry houses, a base curry sauce is used.

The base curry sauce is great because it can be made in large batches. It freezes really well so you can quickly make your favourite curry in minutes whenever you're getting the curry takeaway craving.

You can check out my authentic curry house style base curry sauce here.

As I explain in my base sauce recipe, the sauce can be pimped up by adding different meat or vegetable stocks to it but it is usually just made with vegetables, spices and water.

Another secret is pre-cooked meat.

If chefs at Indian restaurants didn't pre-cook the meat, it would take much longer to get the curries out to the table and your bill would be much higher too. I have a pre-cooked meat recipe here which is perfect for this rogan josh.

What main ingredient should I use in a rogan josh?

Authentic rogan josh originated in the Kashmir region of India where mutton is the meat of choice. 'rogan josh' translates as red meat and this curry is famous for the use of red meat and the fact that the sauce is quite red in colour.

At curry houses, however it is all about the sauce.

A rogan josh can be ordered with lamb, chicken, vegetables, prawns, minced meat, panner for example. When you are making this rogan josh curry at home, you can add the main ingredient of your choice too.

In this recipe I use lamb as that is what I prefer but use what you like. You're making it... make it the way you want.

Step by step photographs of the cooking process...

Wan to make an Indian restaurant style rogan josh that will impress? Go for it!

Frying garlic and ginger paste — Fry the garlic and ginger paste in the oil for about 30 seconds to cook off the rawness.

Stirring in tomato puree and base sauce — Stir in the tomato puree followed by a ladle of heated base sauce.

Here is is worth mentions how to add the base sauce.

These curry house curries are built from the bottom up. Ladle a little base sauce in and let it come to a simmer. Add more as needed.

If the pan is looking too dry, add more base. If too saucy, just cook it down. The base sauce has so many veggies in it, it cooks down and thickens very quickly.

Adding ground cashews — Add the meat and ground cashew paste. This is just soaked cashews that are then blended to a paste. It's a thickener more than anything else.

Stirring in yoghurt and tomatoe — Stir in the yoghurt a little at a time. Then add the quartered tomato pieces.

Finished rogan josh — To finish, season with salt to taste and garnish with the dried methi, coriander and chopped red onions.

Here are some more curry house favourites you might like to try!

Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Korma
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Dhansak
Chicken Chilli Garlic
Lamb Bhuna
Chicken Patia
Chicken Madras

Yield: 1 - 2

How To Make Restaurant Style Lamb Rogan Josh

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
1 tablespoons garlic and ginger paste
1 - 2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon red chilli powder (or more to taste)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp mixed powder*
70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
300ml (1 1/4 cup) heated curry sauce
350g (12oz) tandoori lamb tikka
1 generous tablespoons cashew paste (Simply pound a cashews with a little water into a paste)
1 1/2 tablespoons plain natural yogurt
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tomato quartered
salt to taste
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
Chopped red onion to garnish

Instructions

In a large sauce pan, heat the ghee or oil until bubbling hot.
When hot, add the garlic and ginger paste and let it come to a sizzle for about 30 seconds.
Stir in the paprika, cumin, mixed powder and chilli powder. Stir well to combine..
Add the tomato puree followed by a ladle of the base curry sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add more base sauce if the curry is looking dry.
Stir in the meat and then cashew paste. Simmer for a couple of minutes adding more base as needed. Remember, if you add too much base, you can always cook it down to thicken. If too dry, just add more.
Reduce the heat and add the yogurt one teaspoon at a time whisking as you do to combine. If you add the yoghurt all at once it could curdle. Add the tomato.
Check for seasoning and add salt to taste along with the dried fenugreek leaves.
Top with chopped coriander and serve with white rice and/or naans.

Be sure to stop back by and let me know how you like the restaurant style lamb rogan josh!

My base curry sauce can be used as a base for many different restaurant style curries - spicy to mild - and does a fantastic job with this lamb rogan josh curry.

* The mixed powder used in this rogan josh recipe is a curry house style curry powder. There is a link to my recipe in the above recipe. You could also use a good quality curry powder.

Indian Hotel Style Curry Gravy

June 24, 2011 By Dan Toombs 19 Comments

With this Indian hotel style curry gravy, you can make so many delicious curries.

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while or have cooked from my cookbooks will know about the British curry house style base sauce. It's used to prepare all of the curry house favourites. This hotel style curry base gravy is used in a similar way but it's actually a curry sauce in its own right. With this easy tomato and onion based gravy, you can prepare so many delicious and authentic curries quickly and easily. Read on to see how to make it and discover how you can use it.

Indian Hotel style curry gravy, blended and unblended versions — Blended and unblended versions of this tasty and very useful curry gravy.

What is hotel style curry gravy?

At busy hotel restaurants around India, the chefs prepare several different gravies such as this hotel style curry gravy. This is done so that the chefs don't need to prepare a new base gravy for every curry ordered.

The hotel style curry gravies are made in large batches so that they have them to hand when needed.

Each hotel style gravy like this tomato and onion gravy are actually curries in their own right. You can simply add meat, seafood, paneer or vegetables to them and you've got yourself a curry. More often, however, these gravies are used together. You can mix two or three of them together to come up with the curry you want.

How do you used this gravy?

Let's say you want to prepare a chicken chengezi curry or a lamb keema shimla mirch. Both of these curries start with a base of onions and tomatoes just like this hotel style curry gravy does.

Although the exact measurements of each ingredient may not be the same, the base masalas in each are pretty similar. So in a busy restaurant kitchen, the chefs simply use a big scoop of this gravy to produce them. You can of course adjust the flavour by following the recipes so that your chicken chengezi or lamb shimla mirch tastes as they should.

Can you work ahead?

This is batch cooking! So working ahead is the whole idea behind it. You can make this hotel style curry gravy and then place it in the fridge if using in about three days or freeze it.

I usually freeze it in portions of about 250ml (1 cup) which will easily serve one person but you should freeze it in batches that are convenient for you.

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Step by step photos

Ingredients for Indian hotel style curry gravy — Get all of your ingredients together before starting. It's easier that way.

Infusing the flavour of the whole spices into the oil. — Heat the oil over a medium high heat. Then add the whole spices and let them infuse into the oil for about 40 seconds.

Adding the chopped onions to the pot. — Stir in the chopped onions and salt and fry for about 15 minutes or until golden brown in colour.

Adding garlic and ginger paste and the chillies to the pan. — Add the garlic and ginger paste along with the chillies to the fried onions and stir them in to combine.

Adding the ground spices to the onion mixture. — Now add the ground spices and stir them in too.

Adding a little water to the pot. — Stir in about 70ml (1/4 cup) water so that the spices don't burn.

Adding the chopped tomatoes to the pot and bringing to a simmer. — Stir in the chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue simmering for about 20 minutes.

Adding the chopped coriander and kassori methi to the pot. — Uncover the pot and add the chopped coriander (cilantro) and dried fenugreek leaves. Season with salt to taste if needed.

Blending the hotel style curry gravy. — Your hotel style curry gravy is now ready. If you'd like a smoother sauce, let it cools and blend it. The colour will change to a lighter red.

Blended and unblended versions of the hotel curry base gravy. — The blended sauce is great in curries where you want a smooth base.

Yield: 8 cups

Hotel Style Indian Curry Gravy

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

70ml (1/4 cup) rapeseed (canola) oil
3 green cardamom pods, smashed
2 cloves
1 x 5cm (2 inch) cinnamon stick
2 Indian bay leaves (cassia leaves)
1kg (2 lbs) onions, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
3 green chillies, roughly chopped
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1kg (2 lbs) chopped tomatoes, tinned (canned) are fine
5 tbsp coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
2 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves
More salt, if needed and to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When visibly hot, stir in the whole spices and let them infuse their flavour into the oil for about 40 seconds. Stir in the chopped onions and salt and fry for about 15 minutes or until they are soft and turning a deep golden brown in colour. The salt will help release moisture from the onions and cook them faster.
Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and then the chopped chillies. Then add the ground cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder and turmeric. Stir the spices into the onion mixture along with about 70ml (1/4 cup) water so that the spices don’t burn.
Add the chopped tomatoes and bring it all to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. When you lift the lid, the oil will have separated and floated to the top. Stir this back in and add the chopped coriander (cilantro) and the kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) by rubbing them between you fingers.
Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. If you prefer a smoother sauce, blend it until smooth or just leave it as it is.
Season with more salt, if needed to taste. Then use immediately or store the gravy in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it in 250ml (1 cup) portions.

20 Minute Base Curry Sauce

June 24, 2011 By Dan Toombs 180 Comments

This 20 minute base curry sauce could not be easier!

One of the things I hear most about making the base curry sauce is that people just don't want to spend 1 1/2 to 2 hours making it. If this applies to you, this 20 minute base curry sauce recipe could be for you. I actually made it in 13 minutes but I chop my veggies quickly. if you are new to cooking and perhaps don't cut your onions as quickly as I do, give yourself 20 minutes and you'll have a delicious base sauce to use in your curries.

About this 20 minute base curry sauce recipe.

The most authentic way to make a base curry sauce is as I do in this base curry sauce recipe. I love to cook so putting the time in to slowly simmer that base like they do at most curry houses is something I enjoy doing.

With this speedy recipe, I set out to develop a 20 minute base curry sauce that tasted just like the slow cooked version. You will see that this is not only possible but there are things you can do to make it even better.

To ensure the timings were right, I set my stopwatch so that only the time preparing and cooking was counted in between taking the step by step photographs that you will see below.

How can a quick base curry sauce be as good as one that is slowly simmered?

You are really just making this 20 minute base curry sauce in reverse. You blend the onions and other vegetables before you even begin cooking. This blend is quite strong in flavour so you need to simmer it as long as you can to mellow it some.

You pour everything into your pot and let it simmer. The longer you let it simmer, the more the flavours will develop and mellow. So even though this is a 20 minute base curry sauce, allowing it to simmer longer will be a bonus.

That said, after 15 minutes of simmering, the sauce in this case was ready to use and tasted amazing in the chicken tikka masala I was cooking.

So is this really a 20 minute base curry sauce?

Yes! You can cook and use the base curry sauce in 20 minutes and you will love how it tastes in your curry house style curries. Remember, however that the more you let it simmer, the better.

At busy restaurants, a big pot of base sauce will be stewing away all day. The chefs will add more ingredients to it if it's running low but this longer simmering time does have its benefits. Just like when you slowly simmer a bolognese sauce over a day, the results are better than if you just through it together in minutes.

The big difference is that base sauce really has very little flavour. The magic happens when you add it to the pan with other ingredients to make the different curries.

How can you perfect this base sauce?

Although you can make this base curry sauce in 20 minutes, it doesn't mean you have to stop cooking it at 20 minutes.

Let it simmer while you prepare the curry or curries you want to make. Add water or stock to it to keep it thin, like full fat (whole) milk or single cream. The longer cooking time will mellow the flavour and let all the flavours develop further.

If I'm really honest, I can only taste a small difference between this 20 minute base curry sauce and the slow cooked version. In fact, if you add this quick base to a curry and then use the slowly cooked base sauce to make the same curry again, I bet your friends and family will taste no difference between the two.

The concept behind the secret base sauce

Think of the curry sauce as you would a vegetable stock. It is quite bland but when you add different spices to it you can make your favourite curries very fast.

Over the years I have tried many different recipes for base curry sauce and most of them are quite similar.

Rather than cooking a curry the more traditional and authentic way, frying onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes to form a base, the base sauce becomes that base cutting the cooking time down a lot.

How long can you store this base sauce in the fridge?

You can store your base sauce in the fridge, covered for 3 to 5 days. In fact, if you do, those flavours will continue to develop and it will be even better.

Can the base sauce be frozen?

Yes. It freezes really well. Be sure to freeze it in portion sizes that are convenient for you and the number of curries you want to cook at one time.

Freeze in air tight containers and be sure to label and date them. This 20 minute base curry sauce can be frozen for up to 6 months and is great to have on hand.

Step by step photographs.

The ingredients for the base sauce on a countertop. — Get all your ingredients together before you start cooking.

A onion sliced and ready for blending. — If you have a good blender, you only need to roughly chop your vegetables. If not, finely chop them.

The onions, bell peppers and garlic and ginger paste in a blender. — Place the onions, carrot, garlic and ginger paste and bell peppers in a blender.

Blending the onions, bell peppers, carrot and garlic and ginger paste until smooth. — Pour in 125ml (1/2 cup) water and blend until smooth.

Melting the ghee in a pan. — Melt the ghee in your pan over a medium-high heat. You can substitute oil.

Stirring in the ground turmeric to fry for about 30 seconds. — Stir in the turmeric and let it sizzle for about 30 seconds or until it turns a tone or two darker.

Pouring the blended onion mixture into the pot. — Pour the blended onion mixture into the pot.

Adding water to the sauce in the pot. — Pour in 500ml (2 cups) of water and stir well to combine.

Bringing the sauce to a simmer. — Bring the sauce to a simmer over a medium heat. It will be quite thick so be careful as the simmering sauce will spit some.

Stirring in the ground spices. — Stir in the ground spices and passata.

Letting the sauce simmer to finish. — Let the sauce simmer until the strong onion flavour has mellowed. It will be quite thick. If freezing, allow to cool and freeze it before diluting.

Water added to the sauce to make it about the same consistency as full fat (whole) milk or single cream. — To use in your curries, be sure to add just enough water so that it is about the same consistency as full fat (whole) milk or single cream.

20 minute base curry sauce ready to use in a curry. — You could continue simmering the sauce longer but it will be ready to use in 20 minutes.

Here are a few curry house style curry recipes you can try with this base sauce now.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Korma
Chicken Madras
Chicken Dhansak
Lamb Rogan Josh
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Chilli Garlic
Chicken Patia
Lamb Bhuna

Yield: 2 litres (8 cups) or more

20 minute Base Curry Sauce

This simple curry sauce is a must when making curry house style curries. It can be made in minutes. If you prefer to cook the base curry sauce like they do at restaurants, try this recipe.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 large brown onions, chopped
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1/4 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
7.5cm (3 inches) carrot, roughly chopped
70ml (1/4 cup) ghee or rapeseed (canola) oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
200g (3/4 cup) passata
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tsp garam masala

Instructions

Place the chopped onion, garlic and ginger paste, carrot and the bell peppers in a blender and add 125ml (1/2 cup) water. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Now heat the oil or ghee in a pot over a medium-high heat and stir in the ground turmeric. Let is sizzle for about 30 seconds or until it turns a tone or two darker and then pour in the blended onion mixture.
Stir continuously to cook the onion mixture in the oil for a couple of minutes and then stir in 500ml (2 cups) water.
Bring to a simmer and then then add the ground spices and passata. Cover the pan to simmer for about 15 minutes or longer if you like. You could let it continue simmering while you prepare the ingredients your are making, for example.
After 15 minutes, the strong onion flavour will have mellowed and the sauce will be quite thick.(See note). This is the perfect consistency if you want to freeze your base sauce. Freezing it at this time will save freezer space.
To use the base curry sauce in a curry, it needs to be the same consistency as full fat (whole) milk or single cream. To do this, add water or stock to the pan until this consistency is reached. Enjoy.

Notes

How long to simmer?

I developed this recipe for people who don't have a lot of time to make my slowly cooked base curry sauce. That said, just because it is a 20 minute base sauce, you don't have to stop cooking at 20 minutes! If time allows, go ahead and simmer the sauce a little longer if you like.

Spiced Chapatis Recipe

June 22, 2011 By Dan Toombs 1 Comment

This spiced chapatis recipe can easily be tailored to taste

If you're just looking for an easy chapati recipe that works, you can check out my plain chapati recipe here. This recipe takes them all up a notch, adding different spices and chillies. What you add is in your hands but the idea is the same. Flavour those chapatis with the seasoning and aromatic ingredients you like. If it sounds good, add it! By the way, you might like to try some of my other Indian bread recipes including naans!

About this chapatis recipe

You might have already make homemade chapatis and loved them. Fresh homemade chapatis right out of the pan just plain get it!

With this chapatis recipe, you add other ingredients to give them more flavour. You could simply go with what I have recommended below but I can assure you that no two chapatis recipe are the same when I make them.

You can add what you have on hand. Experiment with different spices and add loads more chillies. Once you get the art of making chapatis down, the next step is to make them spectacular.

What are spiced chapatis?

When you try this chapati recipes like this, you are in for a treat. You will be preparing one of the most popular Indian flat breads around.

In fact spiced chapatis are so good, they play a big part in many south east Asian cuisines, not just Indian.

For this chapati recipe, you will be making chapatis as they should be, with chapati flour. You can serve your chapatis with different curries, chutneys, pickles and/or dals.

Another popular option is simply to enjoy chapatis drizzled with butter or ghee or serve them as a wrap as in this chicken chaap recipe.

Is it difficult to make this chapatis recipe?

No! But practice does make perfect. Even if your chapatis don’t perfect at first, they will still taste amazing right out of the pan.

If you have ever made tortillas, you’ll find that this chapati recipe is made in a similar way. The only difference is the type of flour used and that tortillas often include pork lard instead of oil.

How do you make chapatis?

When your spiced chapati dough is ready, you need to roll it out into flat round discs. It is important the chapati discs be as flat and round as you can roll them.

You might find this the most difficult part of making them. As important as it is for perfection, it's not the be all and end all!

You could use a tortilla press if you have one as it make the job much easier.

How do you cook chapatis?

You can make this chapatis recipe in a tawa or frying pan. The flat chapati is first placed in the pan and cooked until light brown spots are beginning to form on the underside.

You then flip it over to cook the other side until light brown spots colour the chapati. Then you flip it over and put pressure on the top with a spatula or damp kitchen towel.

Doing this will cause bubbles to form. You need to focus on the parts of the chapati surface where there are no bubbles. This will help the chapati puff right up and become airy and amazing.

What you need for this chapati recipe.

Only four ingredients are required to make this chapati recipe.

Chapati flour: You need to look for chapati flour or atta flour which is a mixture of whole wheat and plain white flour.

Spices and fresh ingredients: Add the spices and fresh ingredients of choice to the flour

Warm water: Room temperature or warmed water will suffice. You do not need to use hot water.

Salt: Add a little salt to taste to the flour.

Oil: I recommend using rapeseed (canola) oil. Just a little will do the trick.

Ingredient ideas

You will see from the recipe card below that I have kept this spiced chapatis recipe quite simple.

You can, however add lots of other delicious ingredients to your chapati dough. Try spring onions, red bird's eye chillies, whole cumin seeds, finely chopped fresh methi, coriander or mint.

If you like your food spicy, try adding some Kashmiri chilli powder to taste. If it sounds good, it probably will be.

Storing Cooked Spiced Chapatis

You can cook your spiced chapatis up to 3 days ahead of serving.

If you do this, be sure to wrap them tightly them tightly and place them in the fridge.

To warm them up, dampen lightly with a little water and place in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

Pro Tips

Be sure only to use chapati or atta flour for this recipe. You can use plain flour to make an equally delicious roti but it will not be a chapati.
Ensure your dough is soft and pliable. It should be easy for you to make an indentation with your thumb.
Make sure that the dough is not too sticky. If it is sticking to your hands, then you have added too much water. Simply adding a little more flour will fix that problem.

Frequently asked questions…

Can these spiced chapatis be frozen?

It is best to eat the chapatis made with this chapati recipe right out of the pan. You can, however freeze the cooked chapatis for another day. They will still be delicious and much better than anything you can purchase from the shop.

How many days ahead of cooking can I prepare the dough?

You can prepare the dough up to 3 days before cooking. Doing this actually improves the flavour.

Why aren't my chapatis puffing up?

This will most likely be down to using a dough that is too sticky or you haven't rolled the dough out flat enough. You might just need to practice some but you will get there. Roll your spiced chapatis out as flat and round as you can. This is important as they will not inflate properly if not completely flat. Again, a tortilla press will help ensure they are perfectly flat.

Step by Step photos

Ingredients for this chapati recipe — Get your ingredients together before starting. You should check out the ingredient suggestions above. I ended up adding some turmeric to my blend.

Flour and spices in a mixing bowl. — Add you additional ingredients of choice to the flour and salt.

Dough ball for this chapatis recipe in a bowl. — Knead for a few minutes and then place your dough ball in a bowl and cover to rest for 30 minutes or longer.

Dough rolled out into a rope shape. — After resting the dough, oil you hands and roll it out into a rope shape. Then divide into 8 to 10 equal sized pieces.

Chapati balls ready for rolling. — Roll into 8 to 10 balls, kneading each for a minute or so until you have a smooth surface.

Chapati rolled out. — Keeping the balls covered to keep them moist, roll out one of the balls into a chapati.

Cooking a chapati — Place the chapati in a pan over the heat and when it begins to brown on the underside, flip it over. Small bubbles will begin to form on top.

Chapati puffing up over the heat. — Flip it over again and put pressure on it, focussing on where no bubble are. The chapati will puff right up.

Spiced chapatis — Enjoy brushed with ghee or as they are.

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Yield: 8

Spiced chapatis recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

500g (2 cups) chapati flour
190ml - 250ml (3/4 to 1 cup) warm water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2 – 3 green finger chillies, finely or roughly chopped
1 tsp rapeseed (canola) oil
Ghee (optional)

Instructions

Pour the flour and salt along with your chillies and spices of choice into a bowl and then add the water a little at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until you have a soft dough.
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Form into a dough ball and set aside covered to rest for about 30 minutes.
Dust the work surface with a little flour and wet your hands the oil. Knead for a couple more minutes with oil hands and then roll out into a long rope shape. Divide this into 8 to 10 equal sized pieces and then form them into smaller balls.
Flatten each ball between your hands and then flatten them more with a rolling pin until they are about six inches in diameter and 3mm thick. Try to keep the chapati as round as possible by rolling from different angles. Dust off any excess flour.
Now heat a large frying pan or tawa over a medium heat and add one of the chapatis. Cook until bubbles begin to form and then flip it over to continue cooking for 30 seconds. Flip it over again and begin pressing down on the chapati with a flat spatula or dish towel. Larger bubbles will begin to form and then it should puff right up. If it doesn’t puff completely, no worries! It will still be light and delicious.
If cooking over gas, you could also place the chapati directly on the flame in it will puff up.
If you are cooking in a pan gass or on an electric stove you can still make it puff up. Turn the chapati over one last time and apply pressure to the surface, concentrating on the areas where there are no bubbles. It should puff up completely or at least look nice and bubbly.
As you finish the chapatis, stack them to keep warm. For best results serve immediately. Chapatis will keep for about 2 days wrapped tightly. You can dampen them slightly and reheat in your microwave. Serve as the are or brush with ghee.

How to Make Tandoori Style Lobster

June 13, 2011 By Dan Toombs 4 Comments

Tandoori style lobster is tender with just enough bite!

When I made tandoori style lobster for my wife, Caroline last night she was not very pleased at first. In her opinion, the delicate sweet natural flavour of lobster needs nothing more than a little butter and garlic. I have to say, I agree. But as you may or may not know by now, I am just over four months into a year of eating and cooking nothing but Indian food. Yesterday two nice one and a half pound live lobsters were on my hit list.

Though I do prefer my lobsters without much seasoning, this tandoori style lobster was delicious. Even Caroline had to apologise in the end as she absolutely loved it. I served the lobster with saffron rice which was all washed down with a bottle of ice cold Pinot Grigio.

I cooked the tandoori style lobster on a Webber kettle barbecue over a wood fire but you could cook it much easier in a conventional oven without losing much flavour.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus marinading time
Cooking time: 6 minutes

INGREDIENTS for tandoori style lobster

2 live lobsters (1 1/2 lbs each)

Marinade

125ml (1/2 cup) plain yogurt
1 egg
5 cloves garlic - smashed
2 inch piece ginger - grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
Juice of two lemons
2 tablespoons gram flour
1 tablespoon garam masala
4 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
1 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoon finely chopped coriander

How to kill and prepare the lobster

Place the point of a sharp knife toward the top of the lobster's head with the sharp part of the blade facing away from the tail.

Very quickly stick the knife into the lobster's head and slice downward bringing the sharp blade through the head to the work surface.

Now cut the lobster the other way down the body and tail so you have to long halves.

Remove all the black and green goo and other membranes.

Carefully remove the meat from the tail and claws. If you do this slowly, you should be able to keep the pieces whole.

Wash the shells and set aside.

Method

Place the marinade ingredients in a blender and blend to a fine paste.

Cover the lobster meat with the marinade and allow to sit for about an hour.

Preheat your oven to its highest setting.

Remove the lobster meat from the marinade and cut into bite sized chunks and place back in the shells.

Place these in your oven and baste with butter after about three minutes.

THIS IS IMPORTANT!

Watch your lobsters very carefully. I suggest cooking tandoori style lobster for six minutes but ovens can vary. Overcooked lobster is ruined lobster. You want the meat to be just cooked through and tender.

Be sure to stop back by and let me know how you liked tandoori style lobster!

Partridge Curry

June 7, 2011 By Dan Toombs 2 Comments

Looking for a delicious partridge recipe? Try this partridge curry!

Every Autumn I get wild partridges dropped of at my door by a friend who hunts in our village. And every year I try develop a new partridge recipe or two to get them most out of them.

I barbecue them with tandoori marinades, stew them and braise them. If it sounds good, I do it.

This partridge recipe could also be done with chicken and other game birds but I have to say, the partridge curry version is my favourite.

Preparing the partridges for this partridge recipe

Although I don't mind feathering and cleaning my freshly killed partridges, you might like to make things easier on yourself.

Most good butchers will supply partridge when it is in season. If they don't have it fresh, they will often have it in their freezer section.

You want to cut the partridges into 4 to 8 pieces. I usually go for about 6 pieces. As long as the pieces are quite small so that they can simmer in the sauce and cook through evenly, they will be fine.

wild game — My partridges ready for plucking and cleaning.

Working ahead

As with most curries, this partridge recipe can be prepared a day or two in advance. The flavours will actually develop as the curry sits in the fridge and your curry will be even better.

I recommend making the curry up to adding the coconut milk. The finishing touches of adding the coconut milk, tamarind and soy sauce can be done when you heat it up again.

What if I can't find partridge?

This recipe works really well with chicken and other game birds that don't have a strong flavour of game. If it sounds good, it will be.

Still, I hope you can find the partridge for this unique partridge recipe. You'll love them in it!

If you like this partridge recipe, you might like to try some of these too...

Venison Rogan Josh
Tandoori partridge
Game pickle curry

Yield: 4

Partridge Curry

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

3 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
two prepared wild partridges
20 fresh or frozen curry leaes
3 - 4 dried Kashmiri chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 red onions - finely chopped
2 green bird's eye chillies finely chopped
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
2 tsp black pepper
225g chopped tomatoes
250ml water plus more if needed
3 tbsp coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
200ml coconut milk
1 - 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp tamarind concentrate

Instructions

Heat 3 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the partridges and brown for about five minutes on all sides. Transfer to a platter and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and throw in the curry leaves, Kashmiri chillies and cumin seeds and allow these ingredients to infuse into the oil for about 40 seconds.
Add the chopped onions and chillies and fry for about five minutes until the onion is soft, translucent and starting to turn a light brown.
Stir in the garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric and then the garlic an ginger paste. Stir well to combine.
Now add the black pepper and chopped tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and place the browned partridges back in the pan. Add the water plus a little more if needed. Add the chopped coriander (cilantro). You want the partridge to be just covered with the water.
Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the partridge pieces are completely cooked through. Uncover the pan and add the coconut milk, dark soy sauce and tamarind concentrate.
Turn up the heat to high and simmer until you are happy with the consistency of the sauce. Season with salt to taste.

I hope you enjoy this partridge recipe. Partridge in a curry is amazing. If you do try it, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

How to Make Indian Beef Chilli Curry

June 6, 2011 By Dan Toombs 13 Comments

Beef Chilli Curry is fast and easy to make!

This Indian beef chilli curry is amazing — This Indian beef chilli is very tasty!

This beef chilli curry recipe is proof that curries do not need a long list of ingredients to be absolutely fantastic! A friend of mine stopped by the other day to show it to me. From start to finish, the curry only took 30 minutes to make and most of that time we were drinking beer and watching TV while it simmered away in the background.

Beef is not eaten a lot in India for religious reasons. Even in southern India where there is a large beef eating Christian population, you will normally find curries like this in restaurants but not served at home. Many Christians like to serve beef chilli curry at weddings and other special events.

This is a great curry for using up your Sunday dinner beef roast. All of the ingredients are easily found in the supermarket but can also be purchased at good Asian markets. If you are serving beef chilli curry to friends, you can make it the day before and then warm it up again at the last minute. In fact, the taste improves with time.

Yield: 4 - 6

How to Make Indian Beef Chilli Curry

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

700g beef rump or sirloin cut into cubes - raw or left over meat can be used here.
1 two inch piece of ginger
4 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
2 large red onions - finely cut
3 Large tomatoes finely chopped
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 red pepper finely sliced
4 green chillies sliced in half down the middle
1 glass of red wine (optional)

Instructions

Smash the garlic and cut the ginger finely. Place it all in a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder with a little water and grind to a fine paste.
In a small frying pan, roast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds over medium heat until they begin to smoke a little. Be sure to move the seeds around a little so that they roast evenly.
Grind the seeds in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder to a fine powder and set aside.
In a large heavy bottomed frying pan, warm the oil over medium heat at then add the chopped onions.
Fry the onions until they are nice and brown.
Add the garlic and ginger paste along with with turmeric, garam masala and the coriander and cumin powder.
Bring to a nice sizzle and then add the meat. If you are using raw meat, brown it for about two minutes.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and about 600ml of water along with the red wine if using. You may need to add a bit more liquid if cooking the beef from raw.
Throw in the sliced red bell peppers and green chillies and allow to simmer covered for about 20 if using cooked meat or an hour if cooking from raw. Allow to simmer until the meat is very tender.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with white rice or chapati bread.
Let me know how you like this recipe.

Beef chilli curry is a tasty meal for groups large and small!

Chicken and Lamb Kebab

June 4, 2011 By Dan Toombs 3 Comments

These chicken and lamb kebabs are great as a starter or main.

This chicken and lamb kebab recipe is easier to prepare than it might look.

I usually serve them cut up as a starter but they are delicious rolled into a hot naan or chapatti with a couple of sauces and some salad veg.

The recipe is more of a technique as any good lamb and chicken kebab mixture will work. I use the meat from my lamb kebab and chicken kebab recipes.

chicken and lamb kebabs — So good! I think you're going to like this one.

Getting this chicken and lamb kebab recipe right...

The same rules apply to this recipe as in making the individual chicken kebabs and lamb kebabs.

I go into more detail in those individual recipes by the most important thing is that the minced kebab meat be really cold and just out of the fridge.

Once you have cooked the lamb for this recipe, you need to let them cool on the skewers to room temperature. This doesn't take long and you can prepare your chicken kebab mixture as the lamb cools.

Be sure to always have a bowl of water to hand while forming the meat around the skewers. Work with wet hands and it will be easier to form the kebabs and they will also have that authentic smooth finish.

Working ahead...

The lamb skewers can be made a couple of days in advance of the final cooking.

Just place them, skewers and all in the fridge and cover.

Then take them out just before you are ready to form the chicken mixture around them.

You can also make the kebab meat mixtures a few days ahead of cooking.

Can I use other meats?

Yes! I made mine with lamb and chicken but idea works the same with other kebab meat mixtures.

Try this with minced beef, venison, pheasant... whatever sounds good.

Step by step photos

Grilling kebabs — Cook the lamb kebabs fully on the barbecue and allow to cool.

Forming chicken and lamb kebab — Once the lamb kebabs have cooled, form the chicken mince around them. You really need to squeeze the meat on there so that it adheres.

Cooking the kebabs — Place the chicken and lamb kebabs over the coals and cook the underside for about 5 minutes.

meat skewers cooking over the coals — When browned on the underside, rotate and baste with ghee. Continue rotating until browned all round.

Cut up kebabs — Perfect served as a starter.

Yield: 8

Chicken and Lamb Kebab

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

Lightly grease a skewer with oil and then take a pool sized ball of the lamb kebab mixture and slide it onto the skewer.
Now start squeezing the ball into a long sausage shape. The meat must be cold out of the fridge. It is important that you squeeze really tightly to get the meat to adhere to the skewer. It's easier to do this with wet hands. It is also important that you get the kebab as uniform as possible. It should look like a long sausage that is the same thickness all the way down the skewer with not bits hanging off. Once you think the meat is securely on the skewer, shake it a few times. If it stays on, it should be ok but if it falls off at the shaking stage, you need to squeeze it on tighter.
Repeat with other skewers and then place over a hot, direct heat fire. Cook the underside until browned, about 5 minutes, and then rotate the skewers to cook the other side. Rotate often so the the kebabs cook evenly.
Once cooked through, transfer to a plate to cool. They need to be at least room temperature before proceeding or cold from the fridge.
When the meat has cooled, Do the same with the chicken mince. Carefully squeeze the chicken kebab mixture abound the lamb skewers, squeezing tightly with with wet hands until you can shake it without the meat falling off.
Place your finished skewers over the fire to cook for 5 minutes or until the underside is cooked. Then rotate to cook the other side and start basting with ghee.
Continue basting and rotating until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve immediately with hot sauce or a good raita.

I hope you enjoy this unique and delicious kebab recipe. If you do try it, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

Easy Tandoori Chicken Recipe

June 2, 2011 By Dan Toombs 33 Comments

You don't need a tandoor to make mouth-watering tandoori chicken.

If you ever order tandoori chicken legs as a starter at your local curry house, you might be surprised at how easy it is to make at home.

The simple marinade in this recipe will get you restaurant quality results. You can use it on chicken legs, chicken tikka or a whole chicken. This is a tandoori chicken recipe you need to know!

Abut this tandoori chicken recipe

You will probably know that there are many recipes for tandoori chicken. I have quite a few on my website in my books.

You need this recipe to make the most popular version of tandoori chicken. This is the one you find at most curry houses and it might even be the only tandoori chicken recipe they use. You can use the same marinade to make chicken tikka for your curries or to cook a whole roast chicken.

Although it is 'tandoori' chicken, the chicken at restaurants is rarely cooked in a tandoor these days. Instead, you cook it over fire. That said, you could also cook this tandoori chicken recipe in you oven at about 200°C/400° for about 40 minutes or until cooked through and nicely charred.

Why is the tandoori chicken bright red?

I'm afraid that is completely down to food colouring. You do not need to add it but a lot of people like the fiery hot look it gives to the chicken.

There is red chilli powder in the recipe so even if you don't use red food colouring, it will still have a natural red tone to it. The red food colouring adds no flavour so it really is a personal thing whether you use it or not.

How do you make this tandoori chicken recipe?

Removing the skin: Remove the skin from the chicken legs and score it in several places on both sides.
Using food colouring: Red food colouring powder is often added at restaurants. To do this, mix the powder with a little lime juice to make it a liquid. Then rub it all over the flesh of the chicken.
Applying the first marinade: Mix the chicken with all of the ingredients in the first marinade and let it sit for about 20 minutes. This give the marinade time to soak in.
Apply the second marinade: In this case, the second marinade is just yoghurt. Rub this into the meat so that it is evenly coated. Marinate for 30 minutes to 48 hours, the longer the better.
Cook: Cook the chicken over hot coals on a cooking grate or skewers. This can also be done in an oven set to 200°C/400°F for about 40 minutes. The tandoori chicken recipe is ready to serve when the internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F.

Why are there two marinade?

This is quite standard with Indian tandoori cooking. The idea of the first marinade is to get the flavour of the lime juice, garlic and ginger and the spices right into the flesh of the chicken.

The second marinade, which often has more ingredients in it than just yoghurt such as garlic and ginger paste and lime juice is used to tenderise the meat. It also works to counter the effects of the lime juice.

Lime juice is a natural tenderiser but if it is left on the meat too long, it can make it rubbery and not very nice. The yoghurt counters this so you get perfectly tender chicken that is full of flavour.

Why do you add the red food colouring powder directly to the meat?

You might know that you are not supposed to add food colouring directly to meats. It actually states this on most food colouring powder containers.

The reason you do it is because that's the way it's done! If you were to add it to the yoghurt instead, you would get pink yoghurt and your chicken would look pink instead of bright red.

So you aren't supposed to use food colouring this way but that is what is done at every curry house I have visited. If at all concerned, just leave it out.

How long can you store leftovers in the fridge?

This tandoori chicken recipe is best served hot, right off the grill. That said, if you do have any leftovers you can store them, covered in your fridge for at least 3 days.

The leftovers can be served hot or cold. If you want to serve your tandoori chicken legs hot, just place them in your microwave for a couple of minutes or better, place them in an air fryer set to 200°C/400°F for about 5 minutes or until heated through.

Step by step photographs.

Ingredients to make the recipe. — Get all your ingredients measured out and ready before starting. It's easier that way.

The chicken legs skinned and scored on a plate. — Remove the skin from the chicken legs and score them in a few places on both sides.

The chicken rubbed with lime juice and red food colouring powder. — If using red food colouring powder, rub it right into the chicken with a little lime juice and the salt.

The coriander and chilli paste mixed with garlic and ginger paste. — Pound the chillies and coriander (cilantro) to a paste with the lime juice. Then stir in the garlic and ginger paste.

Applying the pastes and dry spices to the chicken. — Rub the paste and the ground spices into the chicken and leave it for 20 minutes.

Adding the yoghurt to the chicken. — After 20 minutes, add the yoghurt to the chicken and rub it right into the flesh. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes to 48 hours. The longer the better.

The chicken legs skewered. — If using skewers, skewer the chicken by weaving the skewer lengthwise through the chicken legs.

The chicken on skewers cooking over a charcoal fire. — Place the chicken on skewers or on a cooking grate over the hot coals.

Basting the chicken with melted ghee. — Turn the chicken regularly. When it is almost cooked through, begin basting the chicken with melted ghee from time to time.

Charring the chicken over the hot coals on the barbecue. — Your tandoori chicken recipe is ready when the meat is cooked through and you have a nice char on the exterior.

The tandoori chicken recipe cooked and plated up to serve. — Serve hot. I like to serve mine over a bed of sliced onions and chillies that have been fried in ghee.

If you like this tandoori chicken recipe, be sure to try out some of the other barbecue recipes on my site.

Yield: 4

How to Make Easy Tandoori Chicken

I prefer cooking this recipe on the barbecue but the oven works well too. If cooking in the oven, set your oven to the highest heat. Place the chicken pieces on a rack and cook for about 25 minutes. Turn the pieces half way through the cooking time. The chicken is ready when the juices run clear when pricked with a fork and the edges are blackened slightly.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

4 large chicken legs with thigh attached
FOR THE FIRST MARINADE
Juice of two lemons or limes
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp red food colouring (optional)
2 - 3 green finger chillies, finely chopped
1 bunch of coriander (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
210g (1 cup) Greek yoghurt
TO FINSIH
3 tbsp melted ghee for basting

Instructions

Remove the skin from the chicken thighs.
Using a sharp knife, make three slits in each thigh. This is done so that the marinade gets right into the flesh.
Squeeze the juice of one lime all over the chicken thighs and sprinkle with the salt and let sit while you make the marinade. You can also add about a tsp of red food colouring powder at this time but that is optional.
Place all the first marinade ingredients, including the juice of the remaining lime in a food processor or pestle and mortar and grind to a fine paste. Cover the chicken pieces with the marinade and rub it with your hands deep into the flesh of the chicken. Let the chicken soak up this marinade for 20 minutes.
Rub int the yoghurt and allow to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 48 hours - the longer the better.
When ready to cook, build a charcoal in your barbecue. The flavour of the burning charcoal together with the marinated chicken is phenomenal! You can however, place the chicken in an oven set to 200°C/400°F until cooked through, turning once. This will take between 25 and 40 minutes.
You are ready to grill when you find it unbearably hot to hold your hand at cooking height for longer than 2 seconds.
Cook the tandoori chicken turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and the edges are blackened. When the chicken is almost cooked and charred in places, baste it several times with the melted ghee.

Restaurant style onion bhajis at home!

These are real onion bhajis, not a lot of stodge!

Make the recipe your own:

If you like cooking by photos, I have step by step pics below.

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you've got to try!

Have you tried this recipe for onion bhajis?

Ingredients

Instructions

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

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This simple cucumber salad is very low in calories while being quite high in taste!

Ingredients

Instructions

Did you like this recipe?

If you like this cucumber salad recipe, please subscribe to my blog. I have many more recipes - some healthy, some quite dangerous - on the way.

Creamy, tangy and flavourful, make this Ranch Dressing Recipe in just 5 minutes!

Why make homemade ranch dressing?

What ingredients do you need to make ranch dressing? Can I substitute?

What could compliment this Ranch Dressing Recipe?

Step by step photographs...

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

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This lamb saag recipe will get you restaurant quality results.

Prepared ingredients and substitutes for lamb saag.

Following are a few pics I took of the cooking process...

If you like this lamb saag curry recipe, you might like to try some of these too. No base sauce required...

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you've got to try!

Have you tried this lamb saag recipe?

Ingredients

Instructions

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

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Monkfish curry just plain gets it!

FORWARD PREPARATION

Monkfish curry is one of the fastest BIR curries to make

WHAT TO SERVE THIS MONKFISH CURRY WITH

To make this monkfish curry recipe easier, I have included step by step photos of the cooking process below.

If you like the look of this restaurant style monkfish curry recipe, you might like to try some of these too...

Ingredients

Instructions

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

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I think you're going to love this chicken saagwala!

HOW THIS CHICKEN SAAGWALA RECIPE CAME TO BE

PLANNING AHEAD

For best results when cooking chicken saagwala, please use fresh or frozen spinach. Tinned spinach just doesn't get it!

If you love this recipe try these other similar ones:

Ingredients

Instructions

Did you like this recipe?

This is a chicken tikka masala recipe just like those you find at the best curry houses.

Is chicken tikka masala Indian or British?

What is the origin of chicken tikka masala?

What do you serve with chicken tikka masala?

What is this chicken tikka masala different to others?

Ingredients

How To Make Base Sauce and Chicken Tikka

The Base Sauce

The Pre-Cooked Chicken

Step by step photographs

Should you use ghee or oil...

How do you add the base sauce?

Flavour boosting ideas...

Variations

Substitutes